By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – A normal working day for the mayor of Baligubadle ended disastrously after an enranged resident struck him several times on the head.
The mayor, Councillor Abdi Iman Jama ‘Gurei’ is currently receiving treatment at the Hargeisa Diagnostic Centre where he was admitted with multiple had injuries he got from a life threatening attack by a resident of Baligubadle town on Sunday.
The deadly attack on Cllr Abdi came during a campaign to clear illegal commercial and residential structures erected within Baligubadle, the Hawd Regional capital by a local government team he led as mayor.
“While the exercise was going on a resident upon declaring that his Illegal semi-permanent shop will not be dismantled jumped on the mayor hitting him several times on the head, stopping only after his victim, now comatose fell to the ground.
Accordng to a report by hadhwanaagnews the perpetrator of the attack that resulted in the coma in which Cllr Abdi is yet to recover over 24 hours later was identified as Abdi Ibrahim Hasan.
As doctors keep a tight vigilance on the comatose Mayor official reaction is still pending on the action taken by law enforcers towards securing the culprit.
This inaction from police, regional and central governments’ on residents assaulting civic leaders as they fulfill mandated functions is not the first and if not nabbed in the nick, the phenomena might result in dire consequences.
Last year Abdilahi Mohamed Ali councillor was attacked in a similar fashion and function by a resident who alleged being personally targeted by the civic leader who is chairman of a committee tasked with development of a road network in Baligubadle, to date the assailant is still free and enjoying use of his illegal structure erected at a planned road junction.
