By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Somalia, 25 November 2025 –Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, today said that intelligence reports have revealed that Al Shabaab has instructed its members to register for national identity cards, daring the militants to proceed with their plans.
Speaking at the closing of the National Identification Agency’s (NIRA) second conference, the President said that the registration process which includes fingerprinting and facial data capture will help authorities to identify the militants.
“I have been informed, and security authorities have provided reports, that Al‑Shabaab extremists have sent people saying, ‘Go and get the NIRA card.’ let him take it. Whatever they wear—cloth, hijab, or cap—let them take the card and register. Their fingerprints, faces, and other data will allow us know them.
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A Somali citizen who is known as Alasow, Jaama, or Qowdhan, has become a terrorist. He has not yet renounced his Somali citizenship but he is a terrorist citizen who is an enemy of the Somali people and it is known how we deal with such individuals. So let him register. You are a terrorist, a bad citizen.”
The president’s remarks come a day after the agency announced that it has registered more than one million people during its two years of operation. NIRA officially began functioning in 2023, following its approval and launch that same year.
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