Editor's Review

The 17-year-old had been forcefully married off to 40-year-old Mohammed Tiffow before her gruesome death.

Three men have been charged with the murder of a 17-year-old Gaala Adan, a refugee girl from Wajir County.

In a statement on Wednesday, May 7, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said the suspects were arraigned before the Garissa High Court on Tuesday, May 6, where faced the charges.

According to the ODPP, the accused, Mohammed Kassim Tiffow, Mussa Sheikh Ahmed, and Adan Mohamme Ahmed, are alleged to have murdered the minor on March 22, 2025, at Lolkuta South Sub-location, Wara Location, in Hadado Sub-County.

"Principal Prosecution Counsel Mr. Benard Owuor informed the court that Mohammed Kassim Tiffow, Mussa Sheikh Ahmed, and Adan Mohamme Ahmed are accused of murdering Gaala Adan on 22nd March 2025 at Lolkuta South Sub-location, Wara Location, Hadado Sub-County, within Wajir County.

"The suspects were charged after the DPP directed the investigating officers to exhume the deceased’s body and conduct a proper postmortem examination by a government pathologist to establish the actual cause of death," the statement read.

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File image of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP)

The ODPP said investigations revealed that the deceased had been married to Tiffow in a ceremony conducted under Somali customary rites on February 22, 2025, at Dagahaley Refugee Camp. 

However, the prosecution alleges that the girl later rejected the marriage, which led to violent altercations.

"The deceased, born on 1st January 2008, had been married to the first accused, Mohammed Kassim Tiffow (aged 40), in a ceremony held in accordance with Somali rites on 22nd February 2025 at Dagahaley Refugee Camp.

"It is alleged that the marriage quickly turned sour, resulting to physical violence after the deceased reportedly changed her mind and turned down the marriage," the statement added.

All three accused pleaded not guilty to the charges before Justice John Onyiego. 

Subsequently, the court ordered the preparation and submission of a pre-bail report before making a determination on bond and bail terms.

In the meantime, the accused will remain in custody at Garissa GK Prison until May 15, 2025, when the matter will be mentioned in court.