For the first time, a Kenyan aviator has broken his silence on a high-stakes clandestine mission: flying the body of Somalia's former ruler, Siad Barre, from his place of exile in Lagos, Nigeria, back to his homeland for burial.
The Secret Approach and a Sensitive Request
In a revealing interview with the BBC published on Friday, January 9, 2026, veteran pilot Hussein Mohamed Anshuur shared the extraordinary details. He stated that a Nigerian diplomat approached him and fellow pilot Mohamed Adan to execute the sensitive task. The financial incentive was substantial, though the exact sum remains undisclosed.
Anshuur, who flies for Bluebird Aviation, recalled their initial advice to the diplomat. "We first advised him to use a Nigerian Air Force aircraft, but he refused," Anshuur said. "He said that the operation was too sensitive and that the Kenyan government must not be informed." Despite the risks, the pilots accepted the responsibility.
The Circuitous Route from Lagos to Garbaharey
The operation was a masterclass in deception, exploiting gaps in regional radar coverage. The pilots filed a flight plan listing Kisumu, Kenya, as their destination. "That was only on paper," Anshuur explained. "When we got close to Kisumu, we switched off the radar and diverted to Entebbe in Uganda."
In Entebbe, they told authorities they had come from Kisumu. After refuelling, they declared Yaoundé, Cameroon, as their next stop, where assisting Nigerian diplomats were waiting. The final leg into Lagos required using a Nigerian Air Force call sign, 'WT 001', to avoid detection. They landed around 13:00 on January 11, 1995.
The following day, January 12, 1995, Barre's wooden casket was loaded. The aircraft, carrying two Nigerian officials and six family members including his son Ayaanle Mohamed Siad Barre, retraced its path. After stops in Yaoundé and Entebbe, where they again claimed to be headed to Kisumu, the pilots diverted directly to Garbaharey, Somalia, for the burial.
Barre's Exile and Death in Lagos
The mission culminated a long period of exile for the former Somali leader. After being overthrown in January 1991, Barre fled Mogadishu, eventually finding political asylum in Nigeria under the military rule of General Ibrahim Babangida. He died of a heart attack in Lagos on January 2, 1995.
This secret repatriation flight, occurring during Nigeria's military era, highlights the complex diplomatic and personal chapters that follow the fall of a head of state. The pilot's account finally sheds light on a mysterious operation that successfully returned a controversial leader to his final resting place.
