Mogadishu Police Commander Mahdi Omar Muumin, a former al-Shabaab militant known as Moalim Mahdi, appeared at the Somali Parliament entrance this morning, February 7, 2026, as armed police blocked opposition Members of Parliament from entering the chamber between 10:15 and 11:15 AM UTC, according to security sources cited by Cabdalleaxmed on X. Police officers denied access to nearly half of elected lawmakers while unauthorized individuals entered the chamber, BaidoaOnline reported in an alert posted during the hour. Witnesses stated federal police took control inside, preventing lawmakers from speaking and threatening lethal force against those approaching the microphone without authorization. The Banadir Regional Police Commander oversaw operations outside the hall, with sources describing the deployment as protecting President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's interests, per BaidoaOnline. A female member of parliament was physically assaulted by officers inside, marking the second such incident against women lawmakers. Moalim Mahdi, previously in al-Shabaab's Jabha unit under cousin Adan Hashi Ayrow and later its assassination unit targeting journalists and politicians, joined the National Intelligence and Security Agency around 2013-14 before transferring to the Somali Police Force, multiple security and intelligence sources told Cabdalleaxmed. These events follow a reported rift between Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre and Chief of Police Asad Diyano, with the PM seeking Diyano's removal amid tensions involving President Mohamud and Puntland, as noted in prior reporting from TheDailySomalia.
