A Wajir magistrate court has granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations permission to exhume the body of 17-year-old Gaala Aden Abdi, who was allegedly burned to death after refusing to marry a 55-year-old man.
Gaala, a Somali refugee, was buried on March 22 at the Dagahaley Refugee Camp in Dadaab, Wajir County.
The exhumation, which will be overseen by the Wajir West SCCIO, aims to conduct a repeat postmortem to determine the exact cause of death. Investigators also plan to extract samples for toxicology and DNA analysis. The Dagahaley Police Station will provide security during the process.
Gaala’s tragic death followed her refusal to enter into a forced marriage. The teenager was transported under the cover of night from the Dagahaley refugee camp, 150 kilometers away, to a remote village in Wara, Ademasajida, where she was to meet the man she was forced to marry.
Despite intense pressure from the man’s relatives, Gaala stood her ground, but her rejection led to her horrific murder.
Before she died, Gaala reportedly made a phone call, sharing details of her imminent death and naming those responsible.
A postmortem confirmed that her body sustained 100% burns, indicating the use of an open flame in her murder.
The exhumation will help uncover further details surrounding her death and hopefully bring justice to the young girl.
