MOGADISHU (Kaab TV) – The Somali Police Force arrested a tuk tuk taxi driver, Sayid Ali, after he spoke out about the severe hunger faced by people in Mogadishu due to rising unemployment, extortion, and corruption within the police.
This incident highlights the deteriorating state of freedom of expression in Somalia, where individuals, particularly those from marginalized communities, face significant risks for speaking out against government actions or highlighting issues such as poverty and police corruption.
Sayid, a frequent media figure who gained fame with his nickname ‘Saan Miyaa’ for questioning high-level corruption, was detained midday on Thursday along Maka al-Mukaram Avenue.
Armed officers forcefully took him and his Bajaj to the Waberi Police Station, where he was questioned, according to Sayid’s statement to Kaab TV.
“I was driving my tuk tuk taxi when the police approached me. They had my photo, and they took me to the station where I was booked,” Sayid explained.
Following his arrest, police began questioning him about his recent media interview, in which he criticized both President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the police for rampant corruption, and spoke about the dire situation in Mogadishu, where many people are struggling to afford even two meals a day.
In the viral interview, Sayid mentioned that many are going to bed hungry, surviving on only a cup of tea a day.
“They accused me of insulting President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and the police. They said my criticism was the reason for my detention,” Sayid said.
After spending five hours in a cell, police released him on the condition that he refrain from speaking out in the media or criticizing the government on social media.
“They told me to stay quiet and stop criticizing the government. I agreed, and they released me,” Sayid added.
Sayid gained public attention recently for his outspoken criticism of the escalating extortion and corruption by the police against tuk-tuk drivers, which has made it increasingly difficult to operate in Mogadishu.
This case comes at a time when freedom of expression in Somalia is under significant threat.
Journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens who voice dissent or criticism of the government are often met with harassment, intimidation, and even arrest.
In recent years, authorities have cracked down on media outlets and individuals reporting on sensitive issues, including corruption, human rights violations, and governance shortcomings.
In another case, a young man named Ismail was shot dead in Afgoye town, 30 kilometers from Mogadishu, on February 13 after he shared a Facebook post containing a video of a policeman torturing a detainee at the Afgoye police station, residents told the media.
The video, which was leaked by a whistleblowing police officer, showed detainees being tortured in the cells. Ismail was shot in front of his house in Afgoye, according to residents who spoke to Kaab TV.
The spokesperson for the Mogadishu police, Abdifatah Adan, declined to comment on Sayid’s case.