Footballer Monday released, police drop terrorism links
It took the intervention of Football Kenya Federation Chairman Sam Nyamweya, Kenya Footballers’ Welfare Association (KEFWA) chairman Innocent Mutiso, and other Kefwa officials to secure the release of Tusker midfielder Osborne Monday on Thursday evening.
“It was a case of mistaken identity. A friend of his had been using his phone to make calls to Somalia. The calls were tracked back to him and that is why he was arrested and brought for questioning. The police have however found them to be innocent of the allegations, and no charges have been pressed,” Mutiso told Nairobi News on Thursday evening after his release.
Monday had been picked up from his house in Umoja under unclear circumstances at around 2am on Wednesday morning by the Anti-terror Police Unit (ATPU).
The dramatic nature of his arrest raised speculation among football fans that he might have been kidnapped.
PLAYER’S WHEREABOUTS
Through the hashtag #WhereIsMonday, and #FindOsborneMonday, Kenyans on social media raised awareness demanding to know the player’s whereabouts.
Later on Thursday afternoon the police revealed that the player was being held at the Nairobi Area Police Station, although the police officers at the station denied having him in their custody.
It later emerged that Monday was being shuffled between different police stations and he was eventually taken to the ATPU for questioning for terrorism related charges.
Monday’s mother, who was present at the time he was picked up by the police, said her son had been arrested by ten men who were driving two Probox vehicles.
She reported the incident at the Buru Buru police station, but was told that the CID were handling the matter.
Police at the ATPU were however economical with the details, and repeatedly denied having the player in their custody.