Kidnapped Nairobi Lawyer’s Brother Identifies National Intelligence Service Officer as Abductor

The brother of missing Nairobi lawyer Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi has identified a man captured in CCTV footage of the advocate's alleged abduction, naming him as a suspected National Intelligence Service (NIS) officer.

Zachariah Abdi Abshir made the identification while testifying in court on Thursday, pointing out Sayad Mohamed as one of the individuals seen in the recordings showing the lawyer being seized by armed men.

The footage, played before the court, captured several men dressed in what appeared to be police uniforms and bulletproof vests pursuing Abshir before forcing him into another vehicle.

The family maintains that the armed men were responsible for the advocate's disappearance on the night of November 1, 2026, along Muchai Road in Nairobi.

Abshir was reportedly found alive in Sololo, Marsabit County, 11 days after he was allegedly abducted, bringing a new development to a case that has attracted considerable attention from the legal fraternity.

Mohamed had already been drawn into the case earlier in the week after a court summoned him alongside Chief Inspector Vitalis Kibett, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) of the Nairobi Detachment of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.

Senior Resident Magistrate Kiongo Kagenyo directed the two individuals to appear in court and explain what they knew about Abshir's whereabouts.

The magistrate emphasised that the individuals named in connection with the disappearance should be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations rather than being condemned without a hearing.

Following Zachariah's identification of Mohamed, lawyers called for action against the individual, with former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Eric Theuri urging members of the public to help secure his arrest.

Theuri, who reacted to the identification, called on citizens to apprehend Mohamed and hand him over to the nearest police station.

"Citizens should immediately effect a citizens' arrest of Siyad Mohamed, said to be a NIS officer with a silver tooth, heavily implicated in the abduction of advocate Abshir in the video footage of his abduction and present him to the nearest police station," Theuri said.

The remarks followed growing demands from lawyers and members of the public for accountability over the advocate's disappearance.

Abshir's family and colleagues have repeatedly linked his alleged abduction to a legal matter he was handling involving security personnel.

The individuals and agencies mentioned in connection with the case include officers from the National Intelligence Service, counterterrorism units and the military.

However, the allegations against the named individuals remain subject to investigation and determination through the courts.