DOLOW, Somalia (KAAB TV) – The commander of Somalia’s national intelligence in charge of Dolow district, Ibrahim Hilowle, was fatally shot on Tuesday, according to local government officials.
The circumstances point toward what officials are describing as a tragic end to a love affair gone wrong, with emerging details casting a disturbing light on the event.
Dolow district Commissioner, Barre Mohamed, confirmed the incident, revealing that Hilowle was killed in a hotel by a woman identified as Hamdi Abdullahi Ali, who was reportedly married to the intelligence officer.
“The commander was killed with his pistol. We do not know yet how she got access to the pistol,” the commissioner Barre stated, shedding light on the shocking use of the officer’s own weapon in the crime.
Reports diverge on the manner in which the murder occurred. Government officials have arrested Hamdi Abdullahi Ali, who is accused of carrying out the murder.
However, local resident Mohamed Aafi recounted a chilling scene: “The people of the hotel heard the sound of the pistol when the room was opened and they came to the commander lying on a pool of blood with a pistol on his side and the woman standing on the corner.”
Sources reveal that Ibrahim Hilowle had recently married the accused woman, whom he had a love relationship in Mogadishu, the capital of the country, where he visited few months ago.
The woman had only traveled and arrived in Dolow district a day before the incident, as confirmed by people who privy to the relationship.
However, what seemed to be a troubled marriage soon took a devastating turn.
Friends of the woman suggest that jealousy stemming from Ibrahim’s polygamous lifestyle might have triggered a heated argument and an alleged attempt to seek divorce. The situation escalated to the point of tragic violence.
While initial reports point to a domestic dispute as the catalyst for the incident, some sources are raising questions about the woman’s potential ties to the militant group Al-Shabaab, hinting at a more complex backdrop to the event.
The unfortunate death of Ibrahim Hilowle marks the second tragedy involving national intelligence officers in the Gedo region. Just last December, Bakaal Kooke, the regional head of the spy agency, was killed when a bomb planted inside his car detonated overnight. Responsibility for Kooke’s murder was claimed by the militant group Al-Shabaab.