MOGADISHU (SD) – Former Al-Shabaab deputy leader Mukhtar Robow haas been receiving a $7,000 monthly stipend for the last three years, NISA confirmed Wednesday.

NISA acting director Yasin Farey said in a letter to Internal security minister Abdullahi Nur who had sought a report on the former Al-Shabaab senior official that Robow was in good health.

According to Farey, Robow is currently pursuing a masters degree and his family members visit him.

On Tuesday,  Nur had instructed the acting chief of NISA to submit a report on the detention of former Al-Shabaab commander Robow.

The minister asked the security agency to hand over the report within 48 hours, citing requests from the relatives of the detained former militant who had raised concern over his health condition as they have no access to information on his whereabouts.

Robow surrendered to government forces in Baidoa in August 2017 and later plunged into politics.

Tbe former Robow has been in detention for over three years and it is the first time the government of Prime Minister Roble – who has been in office for more than 14 months – has raised the issue.