DusitD2 Terror Attack: Police Say Suspect Opened 47 Mpesa Shops in Three Months, Received Millions from Abroad

Police have arrested seven more suspects in the ongoing investigations into the January 15th terror attack at DusitD2 complex in Westlands, Nairobi.

Detectives have revealed how the seven were involved in the transaction of huge amounts of monies that were allegedly used to finance the operations of Somalia-based Islamic terrorist organization, Al-Shabaab, which claimed responsibility for the attack that left 21 people dead.

The suspects identified as Hassan Abdi Nur, Ismael Sadiq Abitham, Ali Khamisi Ali, Abdinoor Maalima Osmail, Abdullahi Muhumed Hassan and Sophia Njoki Mbogo were arraigned before Milimani Law Courts Senior Principal Magistrate Martha Mutuku.

Police say Hassan Abdi Nur operates 52 M-Pesa shops; 47 of which were registered within a period of three months; between October and December 2018.

Nur allegedly received millions of money from different countries, including South Africa, and wired them to Somalia.

Speaking in court, Inspector Monica Githaiga of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit said the other suspect, Abdinoor Maalim Osmail is a graduate of Kenya School of Law and is currently undergoing pupillage.

Osmail allegedly received more than 100 million through several Sim cards registered under his name.

"That information so far received show that the fourth respondent has registered several mobile phone numbers that were used to receive money for terrorism purposes and that within the last few months, he has received over Ksh100 million which is suspected to be for the purposes of terrorism," Inspector Githaiga told the court.

Sophia Njoki, a manager at Diamond Trust Bank, is accused of helping Nur transact huge chunks of cash without filing the required documents.

Suspect Ismael Sadiq Abitham, an employee of Horizon TV station, was allegedly in constant communication with Ali Salim Gichunge, one of the DusitD2 attackers.

The other suspects are also accused of actively being involved in terrorism.