Nairobi hotel attack: Canadian among six people suspected of terror offences

11 people detained over siege

Six people suspected of terror offences, including a Canadian national, have appeared in court following a devastating attack at a Nairobi hotel.

Prosecutors in Kenya allege that the suspects are responsible for "aiding and abetting" extremists who stormed the DusitD2 hotel complex on Tuesday afternoon.

Gunmen entered the hotel lobby and opened fire on people inside during the attack, while one militant blew himself up near a restaurant.

The extremists killed 21 people and carried out an overnight siege. Al-Shabaab, the Somali Islamist extremist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

By Wednesday morning all four of the gunmen had been killed by Kenya's special forces.

On Friday a judge decided that five of the additional suspects should be held for 30 days. while authorities investigated the massacre.

Prosecutors confirmed they were pursuing more suspects both within Kenya and abroad.

The group of suspects were idenitified in court as Joel Nganga Wainaina, Oliver Kanyango Muthee, Gladys Kaari Justus, Osman Ibrahim and Guleid Abdihakim.

Two of the suspects are taxi drivers, one is an agent for a phone-based money service and Mr Abdihakim is a Canadian national.

Officials in Ottawa are aware of reports that Mr Abdihakim is Canadian and are in touch with Kenyan authorities, said government spokesman Philip Hannan.

A total of 11 people have been detained as part of the investigation.

"The attackers were in constant communications with several phone numbers which are located in Somalia," prosecutors said.

"The investigations into this matter are complex and transnational and would therefore require sufficient time and resources to uncover the entire criminal syndicate," said Noordin Haji, Kenya's director of public prosecutions.

Mr Haji said he had appointed a team of prosecutors so that the investigation would be "meticulous and fast-tracked".

Additional reporting by agencies