Thursday August 7, 2025 {HMC} Somalia’s military court executed three Al-Shabab operatives by firing squad on Thursday after convicting them of orchestrating a series of deadly attacks targeting civilians and security forces in Mogadishu and the Lower Shabelle region.

The executions were carried out at dawn under military supervision and witnessed by Somali army officials and family members of the victims. The military court had previously sentenced the men to death for their direct involvement in assassinations, ambushes, and operations linked to Al-Shabab’s insurgency.

The men were identified as:
Qudaama Hamze Yusuf Mohamed, known by the alias Yahye
Abdi Hassan Roble, also known as Afey
Ibrahim Omar Shamcun, who went by Hubka (“Weapons”)
Court documents presented during the trial detailed their roles in coordinated attacks in the capital and rural areas of Lower Shabelle. Prosecutors said the men had participated in operations that left several civilians and government soldiers dead.

The court said all legal avenues had been exhausted before the sentence was carried out. There were no appeals or delays following the final ruling.

Somalia’s Military Court has become the primary venue for prosecuting terrorism and national security offences, especially as civilian courts face security challenges and a lack of resources. Military judges and prosecutors handle high-profile cases involving insurgents, often under strict protection.

The executions come as Somali security forces intensify their military offensive by the Somali government against Al-Shabab in southern and central regions. Backed by local militias and international partners, Somali forces are working to dismantle the group’s logistical networks and reclaim territory under militant control.

Al-Shabab, which has fought to overthrow the Somali government since 2007, continues to control large swathes of territory, conduct suicide bombings, targeted assassinations, and roadside attacks. Despite losing control of major cities, the group maintains a deadly presence in rural zones.

Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, a Somali-American businessman convicted of orchestrating one of the largest COVID-19 fraud schemes in U.S. history, was sentenced Wednesday to 28 years in prison for stealing tens of millions of dollars intended to feed children during the pandemic.

The sentence is the longest imposed so far in the Feeding Our Future case and the second-longest white-collar prison term in Minnesota history. Only Tom Petters, convicted in 2009 of operating a $3.65 billion Ponzi scheme, received a longer sentence of 50 years.

Farah, 36, was also ordered to pay $47.9 million in restitution and will serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors described him as a top figure in the “Feeding Our Future” scheme, which involved dozens of defendants across Minnesota.

Prosecutors said that Farah not only exploited the program early on but also recruited others into the scheme, positioning himself as a central coordinator.

At his trial last year, jurors convicted Farah on 23 counts, including wire fraud, money laundering, and federal programs bribery. Prosecutors said he used more than $8 million, the highest personal gain among all defendants so far, in stolen taxpayer funds to purchase luxury vehicles, real estate in Minnesota and Kentucky, and a 12-story apartment complex in Nairobi, Kenya.

In an attempt to avoid prosecution, Farah applied for a new passport after federal agents seized his original in 2022, falsely claiming it was lost. He then purchased a one-way ticket to Kenya before being arrested.

During Wednesday’s sentencing, U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel called Farah’s crimes “breathtakingly elaborate” and driven by “pure, unmitigated greed.”\

“This country gave you a home, education, and opportunity,” Brasel told Farah. “You repaid it with fraud on a massive scale,” he noted that Farah had received public housing, a full-ride college scholarship funded by UnitedHealth, and worked in state government roles, including at the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Met Council, before turning to fraud.

Updated investigations have estimated the total fraud at between $300 million and $400 million, making it the largest pandemic-era fraud case involving child nutrition funds in the United States.

Farah tearfully apologized in court, expressing regret for the impact on his family and community. “I destroyed my family structure,” he said. “I let down the state and judicial system that saved me from a refugee camp.”

However, Judge Brasel and prosecutors noted that Farah’s apology focused primarily on his later attempt to bribe a juror, rather than the original crimes. In June 2024, near the end of his trial, Farah, along with his brothers—Said Shafii Farah and Abdulkarim Shafii Farah—and two others, Abdimajid Mohamed Nur and Ladan Mohamed Ali, attempted to bribe a juror by delivering a bag containing $120,000 in cash to her home. The juror was dismissed, and the remaining jury was sequestered. All five have since pleaded guilty. In June, Farah pleaded guilty to offering $120,000 to influence a juror during his trial. He faces additional sentencing for that offence.

Prosecutors said Farah’s actions harmed not only the public trust but also the Somali-American refugee community from which he rose. “He viewed the system as something to be gamed,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “He didn’t want the American dream; he wanted the money.”

The case remains one of the largest pandemic fraud prosecutions in the country. Federal officials estimate that they have recovered between $60 million and $75 million, but funds sent overseas, including to Kenya, are unlikely to be retrieved.

Farah is the latest among more than 70 defendants charged in connection with the scheme. He was tried alongside Aimee Bock, the founder of Feeding Our Future, who prosecutors describe as the scheme’s architect, and Salim Said. Both were convicted in March 2025 but have not yet been sentenced. Prosecutors placed the trio at the top of the fraud pyramid.

On Wednesday, federal prosecutors announced that Hussein Mohamed Farah, executive director of the St. Paul-based New Vision Foundation, became the 73rd defendant charged in the scheme. He is accused of submitting falsified meal counts and rosters to claim $2.7 million in federal reimbursements for meals allegedly served through New Vision’s sites under Feeding Our Future’s sponsorship.

Source Hiiraan Onnline

Thursday August 7, 2025 {HMC} A decision by senior security officers in Garissa to summon all National Police Reservists (NPRs) to the county headquarters for fresh data collection has been blamed for an attack that left at least eight police officers injured.

More than 20 officers from the elite Border Patrol Unit (BPU) narrowly escaped death after their anti-mine vehicle was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on Tuesday.

The officers based at Banane Camp were conducting a routine patrol along the Banane-Yumbis road in Fafi Sub-county when the incident occurred, about 10 kilometres from Yumbis.

“Our officers were on routine patrol when one of the vehicles was hit by an explosive. The first two vehicles passed through safely before the last one, which had eight officers on board, was struck,” said Fafi Sub-county Deputy County Commissioner Naftali Koojo.

“The affected vehicle was at the rear of the convoy. It overturned and the officers in the first two vehicles turned back to respond to the situation,” he added.

All eight officers on board were rescued.

When asked about the absence of NPRs in the area, Mr Koojo said the reservists who support security operations are not stationed in one place.

“These NPRs are not static. They move from one area to another, and the Garissa Yarey area, where the incident happened, is not inhabited,” he said.

He also denied knowledge of any directive summoning NPRs to Garissa for data verification.

The government recruits NPRs from local communities in insecure regions to support the efforts of regular security agencies.

“We are working well with our NPRs in addressing insecurity,” Mr Koojo insisted.

All eight injured officers were admitted to Hagadera Hospital but arrangements are underway to transfer them to Nairobi for further treatment.

Senior security officials in Garissa could not be reached for comment on the NPR situation.

Garissa County Police Commander Amos Ambasa said they were in a meeting at the Regional Headquarters.

Source MANASE OTSIALO