The National Police Service (NPS) has denied claims that one Sadam Buke, a resident of Isiolo, was abducted.
The police said that Buke was arrested and is still in police custody.
He was arrested on suspicion of being a facilitator of the Oromo Liberation Army in the counties of Isiolo and Marsabit, according to police.
“The attention of the National Police Service has been drawn to information circulating on social media alleging that one Sadam Buke from Isiolo County has been abducted.
“We wish to clarify that Sadam Buke is in lawful custody alongside others. He is suspected of being a key facilitator and coordinator of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in both Isiolo and Marsabit Counties,” the NPS said.
The Oromo Liberation Army is an armed opposition group active in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia.
The OLA consist primarily of former armed members of the pre-peace deal Oromo Liberation Front who refused to disarm out of scepticism of the peace deal and former youth protestors who grew disillusioned with nonviolent resistance.
Police said that his arrest, alongside other suspects, is part of Operation Ondoa Jangili which is ongoing in the two counties.
Buke, and other suspects the police did not name, will be arraigned in court.
“He was arrested during the ongoing mounted 'Operation Ondoa Jangili, being conducted in both Marsabit and Isiolo Counties,” the police said.
Isiolo residents had raised concerns on social media over the whereabouts of Buke.
According to witnesses, Buke was picked up by unknown people from a restaurant in Isiolo and his whereabouts remained unknown.
‘Operation Ondoa Jangili’ is a special security operation launched by multi-agency teams to flush out hideouts used by the OLA.
This came after both Kenya and Ethiopia accused the OLA of committing crimes in the area.
It also came after President William Ruto last month held talks with Ethiopia's Director General of the National Intelligence Security Service, Redwan Hussien in the company of Kenya’s Director General of National Intelligence Service Noordin Haji.
