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In a shocking turn of events, the family of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim, who was presumed dead for nine years following the El Adde attack, has received confirmation that he is alive. Ibrahim’s family had long accepted his demise after receiving a death certificate from the KDF, and they even held a burial ceremony to mourn his loss. However, the family’s belief was shattered when they recently received a phone call from Ibrahim himself, revealing he was alive and in need of assistance from Somalia.
The revelation gained attention after a video circulated online showing Ibrahim in a KDF uniform, appealing to the Kenyan government for help in returning home. In the emotional footage, he identified himself as a Kenyan soldier captured during the Al-Shabaab attack on the KDF camp in El Adde on January 15, 2016. The incident, one of the deadliest assaults on KDF troops in Somalia, left dozens of soldiers dead and many unaccounted for.
Ibrahim’s daughter, Kadra Abdullahi, shared the emotional turmoil her family endured over the years, believing her father had perished. Kadra disclosed that she received a call from an unfamiliar number in Somalia about a month before the viral video surfaced. The caller identified himself as her father, leaving her shocked and struggling to process the revelation. She recounted how the family demanded proof of his identity, leading to the eventual release of the video showing Ibrahim pleading for assistance.
The KDF had officially declared Ibrahim deceased, providing the family with a death certificate and leading to a formal burial ceremony. The unexpected contact has now reopened old wounds for the family, who had painstakingly come to terms with his presumed death. Kadra expressed the family’s confusion, saying they had conducted all traditional burial rites for Ibrahim, only to find out he might still be alive.
The family insists that those holding Ibrahim captive wish to communicate directly with the Kenyan government for his potential release. The situation has sparked fresh concerns over the fate of other soldiers declared missing or dead during the El Adde attack.
Ibrahim’s case echoes another recent incident where a man presumed dead returned home after a burial had already taken place. In Uganda, a 24-year-old man, Ashraf Bamusungwire, was believed to have died in a fatal road accident and was buried after his body was reportedly retrieved from the accident scene. Shockingly, Bamusungwire resurfaced just days before his final funeral rites were scheduled, leading his family to perform traditional cleansing rituals to welcome him back.
Ibrahim’s situation continues to draw widespread attention in Kenya, raising questions about accountability and the verification process for missing soldiers. Many are calling on the government to investigate the circumstances surrounding his capture and prolonged captivity.