MOGADISHU (GG) — A Somali military court on Saturday, October 3, 2026 sentenced a police officer to death by firing squad for the murder of his colleague following a violent dispute over a card game in the capital.
The first-grade armed forces court found Police Constable Nur Ibrahim Sahal guilty of the intentional homicide of Constable Liban Nuh Sooc. Both officers served together within the police force’s tax protection division prior to the fatal incident.
The lethal confrontation occurred in Mogadishu’s Hamar Jajab district on July 12, 2026. According to official case files presented during the trial, the dispute erupted when Sahal was denied entry into a card game being played by fellow officers, who cited his lack of familiarity with the game’s rules.
Incensed by the exclusion, Sahal left the scene to retrieve an AK-47 assault rifle to force his way into the game. When Sooc maintained the decision to deny him entry, Sahal opened fire, fatally wounding Sooc.
Following a comprehensive investigation, the Armed Forces Prosecution Office formally requested a trial, which the court approved on October 1, 2026.
After providing both the prosecution and defense teams adequate time to present their arguments, the judicial panel delivered its verdict. Colonel Hassan Ali Nur Shute, the Chairperson of the Military Court of First Instance, announced that Sahal had been sentenced to death under the law of qisas (retribution) for the murder of his colleague.
