For Refusing To Marry Older Man, Refugee Girl…

Life as a refugee girl could be challenging enough, but how about being sent, painfully to an early grave for refusing to marry by an older man?

That refusal, it seems, was the offence committed by 17-year-old Gaala Aden Abdi, and now she is no longer alive to tell the story.

Instead, relations, daily hounded by the harrowing experiences of her encounter with the vice culture, would be reminded afresh today.

Her interred body is about to be exhumed again to allow a postmortem examination as part of a murder investigation.

The Standard has learned that a private pathologist is already in Wajir, while a government pathologist is expected to arrive in Daadab Refugee Camp today for the exercise.

Gaala, a refugee girl, was reportedly killed on March 27, 2025, and her body was burned beyond recognition after she resisted being forcibly married off.

She was hurriedly buried after the incident, which was allegedly committed by the supposed husband.

Human rights activists, civil society organisations and the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) have been pushing for exhumation of the body, citing an attempt by the community to conceal evidence.

Issa Mohamed, Gaala’s relative told The Standard that the family of the supposed husband claimed that the girl had died by suicide by setting herself ablaze.

He said the family’s narrative was that Gaala had attacked the man with a knife, and after realising he was bleeding, she set herself on fire.

“They crafted a story to make it appear as though she committed suicide. The man’s mother claimed she was taking her son to the hospital when they heard commotion in the house, only to find Gaala burning in bed,” Mohamed said.

Mohamed’s account was reiterated by NGEC chairperson Rehema Jaldesa who stated that the suicide narrative by the man’s family is false and meant to compromise investigations.

“I went to Wajir, and the first thing I noticed is that the community, including the local chief, had quickly shifted the narrative from murder to suicide, which is extremely unfortunate,” Jaldesa said.

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She noted that the minor’s body was hurriedly buried in an attempt to conceal evidence of the brutal crime.

According to her, three men, including the supposed husband beat Gaala to death before setting her body on fire to make it appear as though she had committed suicide.

“Many community members witnessed the girl being beaten by three men, the husband and his two brothers. They hit and killed her, according to witnesses,” she explained.

“To cover up the crime, they set her body on fire and made small cuts on the husband’s hand and waist to make it look like she had attacked him,” she added.

Jaldesa also expressed frustration over the lack of intervention despite multiple distress calls of Gaala being abused.

“Her relatives received calls, including recordings of the girl being tortured. She even told her mother, ‘They are killing me, they are torturing me, this is what they are doing.’ Yet, no one came to her rescue, leaving her at the mercy of the perpetrators,” Jaldesa added.

The incident sparked outrage across the country, with citizens demanding justice, and highlighted the deep-rooted cultural challenges in the fight against Gender-Based Violence.

“Some elders and the man’s relatives arranged the marriage without the girl’s knowledge. She was treated like a commodity, and no one even told her the man was 55 years old,” Jaldesa explained.

The family is now calling for justice, urging that everyone involved be prosecuted. So far, three individuals have been arrested in connection to the incident.