A magistrate's court in Wajir has approved a request by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to exhume the body of Gaala Aden Abdi, a 17-year-old girl who tragically died after allegedly refusing to marry a 55-year-old man in Wajir County.
Gaala was laid to rest on March 22 at Dagahaley Refugee Camp in Dadaab, but fresh investigations have prompted authorities to conduct a second postmortem examination. The exhumation will be overseen by the Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer (SCCIO) of Wajir West, with security support from Dagahaley Police Station.
The purpose of the exhumation is to determine the exact cause of death through a repeat autopsy. Authorities also intend to collect toxicology and DNA samples, with the DNA analysis expected to take place either at the gravesite or another location as advised by the Government Pathologist.
According to investigators, Gaala was forcibly married off and transported at night from Dagahaley refugee camp—approximately 150 kilometers away—to the remote village of Wara, Ademasajida in Habaswein. There, she met the older man for the first time. Her refusal to accept the marriage, despite pressure from the man’s relatives, allegedly led to her brutal killing.
Sources revealed that the teenager managed to make a phone call shortly before her death, during which she detailed threats against her life and identified those behind the plot.
The initial postmortem report indicated that Gaala suffered 100% burns, consistent with exposure to an open flame, further confirming suspicions of foul play.
