By Mohammed Dhaysane
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Somalia announced Tuesday the extradition of one of its nationals from Kenya for spreading extremist ideology and hate speech.
Sufyan Sheikh Ahmed, who lived in Nairobi, was accused by Somala of inciting hateful speech and spreading extremist ideology to support the al-Qaeda-affiliated terror group al-Shabaab, against the peace and stability of the Horn of Africa nation.
The National Intelligence and Security Agency, NISA, said he is in custody after he was flown from Kenya.
NISA said it started investigations and interviews related to his ties with terrorists.
“The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) is committed to targeting both domestically and internationally those involved in overt and covert activities,” it said.
Sufiyan is a popular figure on social media and it is believed his recent interviews, where he refused to disavow terror ideology and frequent attacks on civilians, prompted his arrest and extradition to Mogadishu.
Somali Information Minister Daud Aweis described his extradition as regional unity against extremism.
“The recent extradition of Sufyan Sh. Ahmed from Nairobi to Mogadishu highlights the importance of regional security cooperation. Somalia and Kenya's joint efforts aim to create a stable Horn of Africa, safeguarding the well-being of the region,” Aweis wrote on X.
Somalia declared a multi-frontal war against al-Shabaab last year.
The extradition comes four days after Somalia’s spy agency announced it apprehended a senior al-Shabaab operative responsible for procuring weaponry and explosives from foreign sources for the terror group.
The agency said Sakaria Kamal, better known as Saki, is responsible for procuring weaponry “solely to arm the Kharijite adversary and inflict harm upon the innocent Somali people.”
Khawarij is a term the government uses to describe al-Shabaab.
Kamal, 28, has been under surveillance for some time, according to a NISA statement.
Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.
Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been fighting the government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council.
The terror group has increased attacks since the Somali president, who was elected for a second term last year, declared an "all-out war" on al-Shabaab.