Armed men in tactical gear pursued and seized Nairobi lawyer Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi and another man, Ayub Mohamud Maalim, in the early hours of November 1, 2026, along Muchai Road off Ngong Road, according to family accounts, witness statements, and CCTV footage. Ayub, a 27-year-old father of two who was visiting relatives in the city, appears in the footage as the first person fleeing the scene before both were overpowered and taken away.
The incident unfolded around 4 a.m. near Kilimani. Abshir’s white Toyota Premio (registration KDL 356C) was chased by a black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TX and a black double-cabin vehicle. Occupants wearing tactical gear, some in what witnesses described as police-style uniforms and bulletproof vests, and carrying firearms forced the car off course. CCTV shows a man attempting to scale a wall or gate before being pulled down, restrained, and bundled into a waiting vehicle. Abshir’s car was later recovered abandoned nearby with damage and towed to Kilimani Police Station, where a missing-person report was lodged (OB 55/1/11/2026).
Ayub’s family has come forward seeking information on his whereabouts, stating he vanished alongside the lawyer. Police have advised relatives to check stations and mortuaries before formally filing reports in some cases. Security agencies have denied holding Abshir in custody. In court, officers from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) and DCI have alleged that Abshir was linked to an extortion network in Eastleigh and prior investigations involving an alleged abduction of a businessman, as well as broader claims of criminal activity. They maintain investigations into the November 1 events are ongoing and that he is not in their custody. Abshir’s family and colleagues, however, have pointed to prior threats he allegedly received in connection with a case at Makadara Law Courts (MCCR/E2910/2025, Republic v Ahmed Ali Mohamed), in which he was involved as a witness or complainant and had raised complaints against police and intelligence officers.
Abshir’s brother, Zakaria Abshir, filed an urgent habeas corpus application at the Milimani High Court. Justice Alexander Muasya Muteti ordered security agencies—including the National Intelligence Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, National Police Service, Counter Terrorism Bureau, and others—to produce Abshir before the court, alive or dead, and to account for any warrants or detention. Agencies have maintained they do not have him. A ruling in the matter is scheduled for November 10, 2026.
The Law Society of Kenya has demanded Abshir’s immediate production and an independent probe, while Amnesty International Kenya has condemned the incident as part of a broader pattern, noting it adds to 22 recorded cases of abductions and enforced disappearances in the country in 2026. Rights groups and lawyers have called for full accountability, preservation of CCTV and phone records, and an end to extrajudicial seizures.
As of November 5, neither man’s location has been publicly confirmed. The case continues to draw scrutiny over the use of force by unidentified armed groups and the response of state security agencies.