Somalia’s Southwest state executes police officer over $2 extortion killing in Baidoa
BAIDOA, Somalia — The Southwest Somali administration on Saturday executed a member of its special police force after a military court convicted him of killing a civilian during a dispute over a $2 extortion demand, authorities said.
- Advertisement -
The soldier, identified as Abdisamad Hassan Madnuur, was sentenced to death by the 60th Division Military Court for fatally shooting a traveler in late November in Berdale district of the Bay region, according to court records. The victim was named as Abdiwahab Abdirahman Yusuf.
Officials said the execution was carried out by firing squad in a public square in Baidoa, the regional capital. Senior Southwest administration officials, military officers and relatives of both the victim and the convicted soldier attended the event.
In announcing the verdict, security officials framed the execution as a signal of accountability within the security services. Southwest Security Minister Hassan Abdukadir said the ruling was intended to send a clear message to members of the security forces to use their weapons to protect civilians and confront enemies, not to abuse the people they are sworn to defend.
The military court said the killing followed a confrontation over a $2 payment solicited from the driver, who was traveling through Berdale. After determining the soldier’s culpability, the court ordered the death sentence as retribution for the killing.
In a related decision, the 60th Division Military Court also sentenced Salad Ibrahim Hussein, commonly known as Salaad Yare, to two years in a military prison after convicting him of involvement in banditry along the Bay-Gedo road. The court said his actions resulted in the killing and injury of civilians.
The Southwest authorities presented the rulings as part of broader efforts to deter predatory conduct and roadside shakedowns that imperil civilians and undermine public trust. Officials emphasized that the cases would serve as a warning against the misuse of official power and the targeting of travelers and commercial transport along key corridors in the Bay region.
Public executions, while rare, have periodically followed military court verdicts in parts of Somalia, particularly in cases involving members of the security forces found guilty of killing civilians. Saturday’s execution drew a public crowd and elicited visible grief from the families of both the victim and the convicted officer.
The court did not announce additional appeals in the case. Authorities did not immediately release further details about the circumstances of the Berdale shooting beyond the dispute over the $2 demand.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
