Somali-Canadian accused of beheading his 4 children
Former cab driver in Alberta and Yellowknife arrested in Somalia, mother of victims says
The mother of four young boys who were allegedly beheaded by their Somali-Canadian father says she doesn't know of any motive for the killings.
Police in Somalia arrested Omar Hassan, 60, after the children, aged 11, nine, seven and six, were killed Monday, Qadro Addawe told The Canadian Press.
The alleged slayings happened in the central town of Beledweyne, about 330 kilometres north of the capital Mogadishu.
Speaking from Mogadishu, Addawe said Hassan had been a taxi driver in Calgary and had returned to Somalia 10 months ago.
CBC News contacted Calgary cab companies as well as the Taxi Commission, and there was no record of Hassan.
Calgary cab driver Mohamoud Fidow, who has known Hassan for more than 20 years, said his friend actually lived and worked as a taxi driver in Fort McMurray, Alta., and in Yellowknife. Government of Yellowknife officials confirmed to CBC News that Hassan first took out a taxi permit to drive a cab in the city in 2006.
Fidow said he lost touch with Hassan after their last visit in 2009.
"And that time he was not OK," said Fidow, adding Hassan told him he was under a lot of stress and suffered from depression and lack of sleep.
He said he is still trying to come to terms with reports that his friend is accused of murdering his children.
Children had Canadian citizenship
Addawe said the children had never been to Canada, but had Canadian citizenship through her estranged husband, who had migrated to Canada 30 years ago.
"They were born in Kenya, but they were Canadian because the father was Canadian," she said.
A regional police commissioner told Agence France-Presse Wednesday that the children's bodies were found near a village and have been buried.
The news service quoted Col. Isak Ali Abdulle as saying: "The man handed himself in and is in custody now. I think he is not mentally fit but we are questioning him."
Addawe, 29, said she does not know of any motive for the killings.
She insisted Hassan was mentally stable.
"He had some health problems, but he had no mental problems."
Addawe said her own efforts to migrate to Canada had been unsuccessful.
A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa said they were aware of reports of "a possible consular case in Somalia," but said consular officials have not received a request for assistance.
The accusations have also shocked members of the close-knit Canadian Somali community who are watching anxiously as details emerge.
"The community is very sad about it. It's unheard of," said Mohamed Jama, president of the Somali Canadian Society in Calgary.
(加新社2日电) 索马里惊传4童遭砍头惨案，4童的母亲周三说，她不知道他们的加拿大籍父亲为何行凶。4童的父亲曾在卡加利任职出租车司机，数月前才返回索马里。
4童的母亲Qadro Addawe告诉加新社，4名断头小童分别是11岁、9岁、7岁和6岁，他们在周一遇害。案发后，索马里警方逮捕一名60岁男子Omar Hassan，Hassan是4童的亲父。案发地点在中部城镇Beledweyne，首都摩加迪沙(Mogadishu)以北大约330公里。
Addawe在摩加迪沙说，哈森在卡加利任职出租车司机，几个月前返回原居地。
她说，小孩们从没踏足加拿大，但透过她的分居丈夫哈森取得加拿大国籍，哈森在30年前移民加拿大。「孩子们在肯尼亚出生，但他们是加拿大公民，因为他们的父亲是加拿大人。」
当地警察总监周三告诉法新社，他们在小村一带找到孩童尸体，小孩的遗体已安葬。
法新社报道，警察总监阿布杜尔上校(Isak Ali Abdulle)说﹕「一名男子自首，现被拘押。我看他的精神有问题，我们正在盘问他。」
29岁的Addawe说，她不知道Hassan行凶的动机。她坚称，哈森的情绪稳定。「他有一些健康方面的问题，但没有精神问题。」Addawe又说，她曾设法移民加拿大，但不成功。
渥太华外交部发言人说，他们知道「索马里有一宗可能的领事个案」，但没有人向领事人员寻求援助。
卡加利索马里加拿大人协会(Somali Canadian Society)主席Mohamed Jama表示，他与这团体的其他人皆不认识哈森其人。他又说，Hassan所涉的罪行令人震惊。
Jama说﹕「社区十分难过，过去闻所未闻。」