In a dramatic new twist from the corridors of Villa Somalia, Somali Stream can confirm that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has suspended three of his most trusted aides including close family members after an explosive “jet scandal” exposed how an unauthorized passenger slipped aboard the presidential plane.
The three senior officials Mohamed Amin Sheikh, the Deputy Chief of Staff and, Hinda Ulusow, the Chief of Presidential Protocol, and Abdirisak Mohamed Mohamud “British”, the President’s Personal Assistant and nephew were all hit with temporary suspensions just hours before the President departed for Algeria.
Sources inside Villa Somalia say the President was “furious” after discovering that Liban Ahmed Hassan, better known as Liibaan Shuluq, a Galmudug presidential hopeful had somehow boarded his Djibouti-to-Cairo flight, despite not being on the official passenger list.
According to insiders, the suspended aides were directly involved in clearing Liban for the trip, defying the President’s explicit instruction that only Minister of Education Farah Sheikh Abdulkadir, a longtime ally, should accompany him.
The revelation has detonated a political firestorm in Mogadishu, intertwining Villa Somalia protocol violations with the turbulent Galmudug election politics.
Sources reveal that Liban’s surprise presence on the flight wasn’t a coincidence.
Shuluq known for his ambitious campaign to become Galmudug’s next president, has quietly built a support network inside Villa Somalia, allegedly backed by members of the President’s own staff.
His presence on the presidential jet reportedly infuriated both Galmudug’s current President Ahmed Abdi Kariye “Qoorqoor” and NISA Chief Mahad Salad, who saw the move as a direct challenge to their authority.
In a rare show of unity, Qoorqoor and Mahad Salad jointly lodged a formal complaint with President Hassan Sheikh, accusing his aides of meddling in Galmudug’s internal politics and using state resources to favor a specific candidate.
Facing pressure from both Galmudug’s leadership and his intelligence chief, President Hassan Sheikh was left with little choice. To ease tensions and reassert control, he swiftly ordered the suspension of the three aides, insiders say, “his most trusted inner circle.”
The President had to act fast to express neutrality as it looked like Villa Somalia was campaigning in Galmudug.
The suspensions, which are expected to last between one and three weeks, have sent shockwaves through the palace. Staff members describe a tense atmosphere, with whispers of power struggles and factional rifts emerging behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, Libaan Ahmed, realizing that his allies in the presidency have been sidelined, has reportedly doubled down on his campaign, holding a series of meetings in Mogadishu that have not gone unnoticed and certainly not appreciated by Villa Somalia.
The Villa Somalia Jet Sneak Scandal has shaken the presidency, embarrassed top aides, and exposed how national politics, clan loyalties, and regional rivalries are colliding at the highest levels of Somali power.