Facebook Twitter (X) Instagram Somali Magazine - People's Magazine
A young rickshaw driver in Mogadishu who had recently won the U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery has been shot and killed, cutting short his plans to migrate abroad with his pregnant wife. The killing happened late Sunday night in the Dayniile district of the Somali capital, according to police and family members.
The victim, Abdirisaq Abukar Mohamed, was at work driving his three-wheeled motorized rickshaw when armed men attacked him. He died at the scene before help could arrive. Relatives said the attack was sudden and left no chance for him to escape.
Somali police confirmed that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the killing. In a statement shared on social media, Dayniile district police said Abdullaahi Ahmed Geedi is in custody and is accused of killing Abdirisaq. Authorities said the suspect will be taken to court as investigations continue. Police have not yet shared details about the motive, and it is still unclear whether the killing was planned or random.
Abdirisaq’s wife, Asho Abdi Mohamed, said she found out about her husband’s death in a shocking and painful way. Minutes after the shooting, someone answered Abdirisaq’s phone and called the last number he had dialed, explaining that the phone’s owner had been killed. That person then contacted the family, who rushed to the scene and confirmed the news.
Since the killing, Abdirisaq’s body has remained at the morgue at Erdogan Hospital in Mogadishu. His family has delayed the burial, saying they want justice before laying him to rest. Relatives say they will not proceed with the funeral until those responsible are clearly identified and held accountable through the legal system. No burial date has been announced.
The tragedy has been made even heavier by the couple’s recent immigration plans. Abdirisaq and Asho were among the winners of this year’s U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery, commonly known as the green card lottery. They applied in 2024 and were informed of their selection in May. Asho said she completed the application and included her husband as her spouse, and both were approved through the process.
The couple had been scheduled to attend their visa interview earlier this month at the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. However, they decided to postpone the appointment until February 2026 because Asho is in the final month of pregnancy. Abdirisaq was killed before the rescheduled interview could take place.
Asked whether she plans to continue with the immigration process on her own, Asho said it is too soon to think about such decisions. For now, she said, her focus is on mourning her husband and coping with the loss.
Abdirisaq supported himself and his family by working as a rickshaw driver, a common and affordable form of transport in Mogadishu. Despite the demanding nature of the job, relatives said he was hardworking and hopeful about the future. He also held a diploma in laboratory science, which he completed in 2023. He balanced his studies with work by attending classes two days a week and driving his rickshaw the rest of the time.
The couple married in July 2024 and were expecting their first child. Family members say Abdirisaq was excited about becoming a father and starting a new chapter of life abroad.
His killing has once again raised concerns about security in Mogadishu, especially for rickshaw drivers and other informal transport workers. In recent years, several drivers—many of them young men—have been killed under unclear circumstances, leaving families demanding better protection and accountability.
Police say investigations into Abdirisaq’s death are ongoing and that the criminal investigations unit is working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the killing.