Police in Nairobi are holding the four suspects identified as Mr Mohamed Shaukat Ali, Mr Mohamed Yusuf Shaukat, Mr Rammy Yusuf Shaukat and Mr Ramadhan Mohamed Shaukat, who are Sudanese nationals, following an attempted murder of the businessman.
On June 13, 2023, Mr Akasha Nuri Abdalla, a brother of the Akashas who are jailed in the United States, was attacked by foreigners in a flat in South B, Nairobi County and severely stabbed in the head and neck.
Investigations by the Nation now reveal that the four suspects arrived in the country in May and were in the process of obtaining visas for both Kenya and Tanzania.
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Their entry into the country was facilitated by Mr Haisam Majid, the brother-in-law of Mr Mohamed Shaukat Ali. Mr Majid is the brother of Mrs Kaibo Talal Ali.
“It was in the month of May 2023 that my sister by the name of Kaibo Talal Ali asked me to help her get Kenyan visas for her and the children. This was because she was with her family in Khartoum Sudan and they were planning to flee due to civil unrest. She told me that without the document they would not be allowed to travel through Ethiopia to Kenya,” Mr Majid told the police in a statement seen by the Nation.
Mr Majid further explained to the police that he had processed visas for his nephews and mother and sent them back. However, he did not process one for his brother-in-law as he already had a Kenyan visa.
On June 9, Ms Kaibo and her family arrived in the country and were met by Mr Majid, who offered to accommodate them as they prepared to leave for Tanzania.
According to Mr Majid, he secured and paid for an Airbnb for the family in South B in an apartment known as Plains Ville Apartment. Airbnb is an air, bed and breakfast service that allows property owners to rent out their space to travellers looking for a place to stay.
Immediately after their arrival, they were usually in the house, with locals saying they were very quiet and did not interact much.
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However, four days later a disturbance broke out, which later became very violent, including the use of knives, stabbings and bloodshed.
On that day, Mr Majid was busy at his workplace in Manyanja Road, Donholm, Nairobi County, when he received a call from his younger brother, Mr Junior Hussein Omar, informing him that his sister and husband were fighting over his car, an Audi with registration number KDL 245V.
Mr Majid told the police that the brother further informed him that he should not return home that day as there were plans to murder him before the couple could leave the country in his car.
It was then that he decided to approach the Akasha’s because he had bought the car on Hire Purchase Price (HPP) and had not settled with them.
An employee, who is aware of how the vehicle was purchased but spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said that Mr Majid had only paid Sh1 million and was expected to pay Sh100,000 per month for the next two years.
This meant that he still owned the car along with the Akashas until he finished paying for it.
He saw no reason why he should report the matter to the police, saying that it seemed like a matter that could be resolved amicably without the involvement of the law.
Mr Majid contacted the Akasha’s and together they went to the flat where the Sudanese were staying.
When they arrived at the flat, there was an exchange of words between the Akashas and the foreigners.
They refused to give them the car keys and instead the cold exchange turned violent as the foreigners continued to abuse the Akashas.
“The one with the shisha stick hit my son and they went on to stab me in the face and neck. They also hit me several times and I became very weak,” said Mr Nuri Akasha Abdala, adding that he was then taken to Mater Hospital for medical treatment.
It has also emerged that two years ago, Mr Shaukat threatened Mr Nuri Akasha Abdala after he reported him to the police for living with a minor from South Africa. He told police he did not take the threats seriously.
The Nation contacted Mr Akasha and after denying that he had been assaulted, he later said that the matter was a family matter.
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Yesterday, the four were unable to enter a plea at the Makadara Magistrate’s Court, where they were charged by the police, due to a language barrier. The court ordered that they be remanded in custody at the Industrial Area Police Station.
The Nation has established that the prosecution team is planning to hold the suspects for more days as the case continues.
It is also opposing the granting of bail on the grounds that the four pose a flight risk as they are not Kenyan nationals. They also say the victim is still living in fear as he has been threatened by the four suspects.
Seven witnesses have already been called in the case.
