The High Court was on Wednesday was told that missing lawyer Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi was the subject of an actionable intelligence report concerning an alleged extortion ring operating in Eastleigh, Nairobi, under the guise of counter-terrorism operations.
According to submissions presented in court, the intelligence report implicated Abdi, an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya, in a group allegedly involved in exploiting counter-terrorism operations to solicit bribes from members of the public.
The court heard that Abdi was allegedly posing as a legal officer attached to the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) and the intelligence service.
He is further alleged to have been working with government employees from various agencies, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the Judiciary, the National Police Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The group, reportedly referred to as the “Exorcist Ring”, is accused of manipulating the criminal justice system to pursue four alleged objectives. These include facilitating the arrest of vulnerable members of the public suspected of fraudulently acquiring national identity cards, as well as arresting individuals under the pretext that they are linked to terrorism.
The alleged operations reportedly involved police officers from Pangani, Eastleigh North, Airbase, Shauri Moyo and California police stations. The court was also told that the group allegedly used Milimani and Makadara Law Courts to pursue malicious prosecutions against individuals who refused to pay them, while IPOA and EACC were allegedly used to initiate investigations against those deemed non-compliant.
The court also heard that Abdi had been arrested in October 2025 at Diamond Park 2 Estate in South B and taken to Kahawa Law Courts.
However, the prosecutor on duty declined to approve a miscellaneous application seeking further police action, arguing that Abdi, being an advocate, could be investigated while out on police bond. He was subsequently released on bond pending investigations.
The submissions were made during the hearing of an application seeking orders compelling authorities to produce Abdi before the court, alive or dead.
Abdi was allegedly abducted on October 31, 2026, along Muchai Road after his vehicle, registration number KDL 356C, was found abandoned.
