US places $8 million bounty on Al-Shabaab commander Abdikadir

By Newsflash Writer

The United States Department of State has announced a reward of $8 million for credible information leading to the capture of Abdikadir Mohamed Abdikadir, also known as Ikrima, a senior operative in the al-Shabaab terror network.

The bounty is split into two portions: $5 million for his role in the 2010 Kampala bombings and $3 million for intelligence on his recruitment of Kenyan youths into the group and leadership of Kenyan fighters in Somalia. Abdikadir is suspected of orchestrating the July 11, 2010 suicide bombings that struck crowds watching the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and the Netherlands.

The blasts hit the Ethiopian Village restaurant and the Kyadondo Rugby Club in Kampala, killing 76 people, among them one American.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, framing the attack as retaliation for Uganda’s military contribution to the African Union Mission in Somalia, now renamed the African Union Transition Mission. Cross-border investigations exposed a wide terror network involving operatives from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with the explosives reportedly ferried through Kenya.

A joint effort by regional security agencies and US law enforcement, including the FBI and Department of Justice, led to the arrest of 13 suspects. Eight were convicted of terrorism-related charges while five were acquitted. According to the US State Department, Abdikadir supervised the training and deployment of the suicide bombers and arranged the movement of the explosive vests used in the deadly attacks.

DCI connects Ikrima to terror attacks in Kenya

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Kenya has also tied Abdikadir to a series of attacks on Kenyan soil, including deadly assaults in Lamu County. In a 2023 advisory, the DCI described him as heavily armed, well-trained, and dangerous. He is believed to have played key roles in both the Kampala bombings and the September 21, 2013 Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi. Authorities have reported that Abdikadir previously traveled through Mombasa, Nairobi, and North Eastern Kenya.

Holding dual citizenship in Somalia and Norway, Abdikadir has held top operational roles in al-Shabaab, including overseeing logistics and planning major attacks. On August 6, 2021, he was designated a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State.

This status freezes all his assets under US jurisdiction and prohibits any US citizen from conducting business with him. The bounty was announced under the Rewards for Justice program, a US initiative focused on gathering information linked to global terrorism.