NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 12 – Missing Nairobi lawyer Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi has reportedly been found dumped in Sololo, Marsabit County, bringing a dramatic twist to the search for the advocate whose disappearance sparked nationwide outrage and a legal battle involving security agencies.
The Milimani High Court was on Thursday, November 12, informed that Abdi had been found, prompting Justice Alexander Muteti to adjourn the hearing of a habeas corpus application seeking to establish his whereabouts.
One of the lawyers appearing in the matter informed the court that they had received information that the advocate had been found dumped in Sololo.
Following the development, Justice Muteti directed that the matter be mentioned on Friday, November 13, when Abdi is expected to be produced in court.
The development comes 11 days after the lawyer was allegedly abducted by armed men along Muchai Road, off Ngong Road, in Nairobi, on November 1.
His disappearance had triggered protests by members of the legal fraternity, with the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) demanding answers from security agencies and calling for his immediate release.
Abdi’s family had moved to court seeking orders compelling the Inspector General of Police, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and other security agencies to disclose his whereabouts and produce him before the court.
According to an affidavit filed by his brother, Zakaria Abshir, the advocate was intercepted by armed individuals travelling in a black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado TX and a double-cabin vehicle.
The family alleged that the men, some dressed in tactical combat uniforms and bulletproof vests, pursued Abdi’s white Toyota Premio before forcing him out and bundling him into the Land Cruiser.
His vehicle, registration number KDL 356C, was later discovered abandoned along Muchai Road and taken to Kilimani Police Station.
The family subsequently filed a missing person report as efforts to trace him intensified.
The disappearance also raised questions about Abdi’s previous encounters with security agencies, with his family alleging that he had been subjected to intimidation and threats before he went missing.
In court documents, Zakaria said his brother had previously been arrested on October 9, 2025, by officers from the Counter-Terrorism Police Unit, who were later joined by officers from the National Intelligence Service and military intelligence.
He told the court that Abdi was taken to Kahawa Law Courts, where investigators sought permission to detain him for 10 days for questioning.
The family further alleged that the advocate had complained to senior security officials about threats he had received but that no meaningful action was taken.
On Wednesday, November 11, Zakaria presented CCTV footage and photographs before the High Court, which he said showed the circumstances surrounding his brother’s alleged abduction.
He also presented photographs relating to the lawyer’s previous arrest and interrogation as part of evidence intended to help establish what happened to him.
Justice Muteti had earlier ruled that the allegations surrounding the disappearance warranted closer scrutiny, directing that the habeas corpus application proceed to a substantive hearing.
The judge noted that security agencies had a responsibility to account for missing citizens and could not simply dismiss their responsibility by denying that a person was in their custody.
The court proceedings had also put pressure on senior security officials, after police and the DCI maintained that they were not holding the missing advocate.
The Law Society of Kenya had meanwhile threatened nationwide industrial action if Abdi was not found and produced, describing his disappearance as a serious concern for the independence and safety of members of the legal profession.
The society had also linked its concerns to Abdi’s professional work, particularly his involvement in a criminal case before the Makadara Law Courts, where he was reportedly a complainant and material witness.
The court is expected to receive further information when the matter resumes on Friday, with Abdi’s production expected to provide an opportunity to establish his condition and hear his account of the events surrounding his disappearance.
