South West State executes police officer over $2 extortion killing in Baidoa
BAIDOA, Somalia — The South West State administration on Saturday executed a member of its special police force who was convicted of fatally shooting a civilian during a $2 extortion dispute, according to officials and court records.
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The soldier, identified as Abdisamad Hassan Madnuur, was sentenced to death by the 60th Division Military Court for killing a traveler in late November in Berdale district of the Bay region. Court documents state the victim, Abdiwahab Abdirahman Yusuf, was driving his vehicle when the confrontation over the small cash demand escalated into a fatal shooting.
The execution was carried out by firing squad in a public square in Baidoa, the regional capital. Senior officials from the South West administration, military officers, and relatives of both the victim and the convicted soldier attended the event, underscoring the visibility of the ruling and its intended deterrent effect within the security services.
The 60th Division Military Court said it ordered the execution as retribution for the killing. South West Security Minister Hassan Abdukadir, speaking at the scene, said the verdict was intended to send a strong message to security forces, urging them to use their weapons to protect civilians and confront enemies rather than to abuse the people they are sworn to defend.
The case has drawn public attention because of the trivial amount at the center of the dispute. Rights groups and local communities have long criticized extortion at checkpoints and along key roadways in southern Somalia, where civilians and transport operators frequently navigate security risks, armed banditry and illegal levies. Authorities in South West State have pledged to clamp down on abuses and criminal activity that threaten public safety and undermine confidence in the security sector.
In a separate decision announced the same day, the 60th Division Military Court sentenced Salad Ibrahim Hussein, known as Salaad Yare, to two years in military prison after convicting him of involvement in banditry along the Bay–Gedo road. The court said his actions contributed to the killing and injury of civilians along the corridor, which links key towns across the two regions and is central to trade and travel.
Officials framed both rulings as part of a broader effort to impose discipline on state forces and deter criminality hampering movement and commerce in Bay and neighboring areas. The South West administration did not immediately release additional details about the cases or potential appeals, but emphasized that uniformed personnel who commit crimes against civilians would face prosecution in military courts.
Public executions remain rare but not unprecedented in Somalia, where military courts often handle cases involving members of the security services and armed groups. Saturday’s execution in Baidoa marked one of the most visible accountability actions in South West State in recent months, highlighting the administration’s intent to address abuses that have fueled public anger and insecurity.
Local authorities have not disclosed whether any further disciplinary or preventive measures will follow the rulings. Community leaders in Bay region have previously called for tighter oversight of checkpoints, clear rules of engagement for armed personnel and sustained patrols against highway banditry, particularly on the Bay–Gedo route.
Officials said the body of the victim, Abdiwahab Abdirahman Yusuf, was central to the court’s findings and the retributive nature of the sentence, which the judges said aligned with the gravity of the offense. The court did not provide a public timeline for when the convicted banditry accomplice, Salaad Yare, would begin serving his sentence.
The South West administration urged civilians to report abuses through local authorities and encouraged security personnel to adhere strictly to orders designed to protect the public. No further incidents were reported in Baidoa following the execution.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
