Missing Lawyer Abshir Abdi Reportedly Found Alive in Isiolo After 12 Days

Lawyer Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi

Lawyer Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi has reportedly been found alive. He had been missing for nearly two weeks. Reports say he was found dumped in a thicket in Isiolo County. His family has not yet confirmed the news.

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Charles Kanjama shared the report. He said the society had received word that Abdi was found alongside his close friend, Ayub Maalim. Kanjama said the reports were being verified. He added that Abdi would issue a statement once the necessary steps had been taken.

Sources said Abdi had been held for 12 days. Those sources say he was discovered in a thicket in Isiolo County. The lawyer's family had not confirmed the reappearance at the time of reporting.

Kanjama accused state units of carrying out the operation. He named the Special Operations Group, the Operations Support Unit, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. The LSK says it will keep demanding Abdi's release. It also wants him produced in court and those involved brought to justice.

Abdi was seized by armed, masked men along Muchai Road, off Ngong Road, on Sunday, November 1. CCTV footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke shows his car being chased. The vehicle later crashed into a drainage channel. Abdi was then forced into a black SUV.

His two companions also vanished during the incident. His family and the LSK link the abduction to a pro bono case involving senior security officers. Police have denied any involvement in the disappearance.

The High Court summoned senior police officials to explain Abdi's whereabouts. That order was made before reports of his discovery surfaced on November 12. Lawyers and rights activists have held court hearings and marches in Nairobi's CBD, as well as towards Vigilance House.

On November 9, a Makadara Law Courts magistrate summoned five individuals over the case. They include officers from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit, the National Intelligence Service, and military intelligence. The five are linked to alleged involvement in the disappearance.