Police tortured me for 16 days – Lamu nurse
‘They denied me a chance to go to hospital’
A nurse yesterday accused police of torturing him for 16 days on suspicion he treated al Shabaab fighters in Mbwajumwali, Lamu East subcounty.
Omar Faraj, 38, said he was arrested when police raided his house in Witu, Lamu West subcounty, after the Mpeketoni terror attack in which more than 100 people were killed.
Faraj, now based at King Fahd on the Lamu Island, said 12 officers raided his house on July 27, 2014, at 9.06pm.He said police slapped his wife and took Sh2,500, a panga, a knife and their IDs.
“Police denied me a chance to go to hospital after they injured my mouth and almost broke my arm with a gun butt. I was released on August 12, 2014, after I read a verse in the Quran and sought divine intervention. The tiny, smelly cell had bedbugs and lice and 41 other suspects,” Faraj said.
He said he was taken to an unknown place blindfolded. Faraj said he was later released without charges. “They just questioned me about the Mpeketoni attack and did not prefer any charges against me. I suspect the police tortured me, because of my thick beard which is a matter of faith for me,” he said.
Faraj made the presentation to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights public inquiry on security at Lamu Fort. The session was attended by among others, KNCHR chairperson Kagwiria Mbogori, Lamu county commissioner Joseph Kanyiri and Independent Policing Oversight Authority board member Vincent Kiptoo.
The commission began its two-day sitting on Lamu Island yesterday. It will wind up its Coast inquiries in Mpeketoni next Friday.
HE SAID POLICE SLAPPED HIS WIFE AND TOOK SH2,500, A PANGA, A KNIFE AND THEIR IDS
