A Dadaab court in Garissa County has sanctioned the exhumation of remains belonging to orphaned teenager Safiya Hussein Bilal to enable a second post-mortem examination as investigators probe her death.

Senior Principal Magistrate Evans Muleka instructed the victim’s family member, Hussein Bilal, to locate the burial site to enable the exhumation and subsequent forensic testing.

Magistrate Muleka further mandated that the Chief Government Pathologist oversee the exhumation process and perform a fresh autopsy, with specialists from the Government Chemist’s office tasked with specimen collection for laboratory examination.

The court ruling specified that the Director of Criminal Investigations would provide documentation support, while the Fafi sub county Public Health Officer would ensure adherence to safety protocols throughout the procedure.

Additionally, the court granted Hussein the option to observe the process or arrange for an independent pathologist to represent his interests, with Dr. Chweya Arthur, who performed the original post-mortem, also required to attend.

This judicial directive follows an earlier court decision to detain four individuals, Shafa Bilal Sharkane, Abubakar Abdullahi, Halima Muhumud Mogow, and Zeynab Salat Samatar, for 20 days as authorities continue their probe.

Law enforcement officials had requested the extended detention to finalize evidence gathering, including genetic testing and witness interviews, while addressing security concerns related to the region’s location near the Somali border.

The four detained individuals are implicated in the killing of the refugee student, who was enrolled in Grade 9 at an educational institution in Garissa.

The Director of Public Prosecutions is anticipated to file formal murder charges once forensic results from the exhumation become available.

Authorities expect the exhumation to yield critical forensic information that will strengthen the investigation and support legal action against those allegedly responsible for Safiya Hussein Bilal’s death.

The case is scheduled for review in court on December 10, 2025.