As the head of state intervenes to secure his release from police custody and meets him at the presidency in Hargeisa 
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun- Arrested for having similar name to the president of Somaliland , a teacher has turned From Criminal to hero,
This follows the meeting between President Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo and his namesake teacher Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo at the presidency in Hargeisa following the later’s release from police custody.
The president’s namesake who is the deputy head teacher at Nuradin boys Secondary School Hargeisa became a hero after police in the capital city arrested him allegedly for impersonating the head of state with whom he shares three names as well as the nickname Silanyo.
Though details were scanty sources at the presidency inform that the head of state who organized his namesake’s release was also curious to meet the bearer of his exact name, thence the two Silanyo’s meet which received much acclaim within the public.
The saga leading to the arrest and subsequent meet between president Silanyo and teacher Silanyo came following the arrest of the later by police in Hargeisa for reasons related to impersonating the Somaliland head of state.
Following the arrest that had elicited curiosity within the public the police commissioner Brigadier Abdillahi Fadal Iman informed that the teacher was being held on treason charges more specifically impersonating the president.
Revealing that police started investigating the teacher after being appraised of his identical name to president Silanyo, the police chief said arrest was only undertaken after the then culprit changed his last name from Silanyo to Haddi.
“By adjusting his Zaad e-banking account name with removal of Silanyo for Haddi led us to his arrest” said Brigadier Fadal the day the teacher was detained.
Somalilandsun indicate that police became aware of the teacher’s name after he paid a police officer through his zaad account for purpose of bribing him to release a colleague at Nuradin school.
“The corrupt policeman became very worried when he received the bribe money electronically from an account of the head of state” informed our source who requested anonymity adding that the now very worried corrupt officer informed his immediate commander thence investigations ensued.
Upon learning that he was being investigated by police teacher Silanyo went to Telesom company, the Zaad e-banking service operator, in Hargeisa where he changed the last name from Silanyo to Haddi which led the law enforcers to arrest him on impersonation charges.
Following his arrest, relatives and colleagues upon swearing an affidavit to ascertain the name was not faked, submitted a request to the court for securing his release while police pursue investigations
The request which was accepted and granted by the Maroodi-jeeh regional court raised the ire of police who rushed to the appeal court requesting the injuction of the lower court’s order for release of the alleged impersonate on security bond.
The appeal court having denied the police request for injunction on the release order ensued with the release of teacher Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo and his subsequent meet with his namesake president Ahmed Mahmud Silanyo at the presidency in Hargeisa.
Queried on the arrest and alleged impersonation charges, the proprietor of Nuradin schools Mahad Mohamed Ibrahim revealed that police were a bit hasty in their accusations since the man he termed as only a teacher but deputy head teacher of Nuradin Boys secondary school Hargeisa bore the name Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo since he was a kid.
In Somaliland and other Muslim majority countries it is common for people to share three names thence imperatives of supply mother’s name in registration of ID or other for purposes of differentiating.
For the current saga it is not the identically three names that raised curiosity but the fourth name, Silanyo, which is a nickname given to a thin/slender person as was the president during his primary school days.
While we can not get experts to agree On the meaning or spelling Silanyo/Siranyo is a somali language name for some sort of lizard which is usually thin/slender and long
Despite the ordeal teacher Ahmed Mohamed Mahmud Silanyo is now a very popular figure in the country seemingly having been given the official green light to continue using the name.
