- The suspects are expected to take a plea on Thursday, as investigations continue into the alleged trafficking network and the international rescue mission that led to the child’s recovery.
- This follows the closure of an earlier miscellaneous file before Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku.
Three suspects accused of abducting a Nairobi minor and
trafficking the child across borders to Libya on Wednesday appeared before the
Kahawa Law Courts but did not take plea.
Abdi Samed Abukar, Abdirahman Dagane Ahmed and Abdifatah Abdi
Elmi face charges linked to an alleged cross-border extortion syndicate accused
of demanding millions of shillings from the victim’s family.
The suspects are expected to take a plea on Thursday, as
investigations continue into the alleged trafficking network and the
international rescue mission that led to the child’s recovery.
This follows the closure of an earlier miscellaneous file
before Senior Principal Magistrate Njeri Thuku.
Court documents detail an alleged cross-border operation in
which a minor was abducted from Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate on April 10, 2025,
smuggled through Sudan and South Sudan, and trafficked to war-torn Libya.
There, the syndicate allegedly subjected the child to torture,
recording videos of the ordeal and sending them to the parents in Kenya to
intensify extortion demands.
Desperate to secure their child’s release, the family
reportedly paid the criminal network more than Ksh.5 million.
“This case has been ongoing for some time as we tried to use
all means to rescue the minor. When he was abducted in April 2025 while within
Eastleigh, he was taken to Libya, where he was detained, tortured and an
extortion ring demanded 5.5 million, which the family has been sending,” said
Kevin Omwanza, the family’s advocate.
Inside the courtroom, prosecutors argued that the suspects
posed a flight risk as they presented their case in support of the application
before the court.
“We have taken the whole day here, and I feel you; let us all
agree that the plea has been deferred to 22nd in court one at around 9:00
am...the suspects will remain under the custody of ATPU...we will finalize on
the application tomorrow,” said Magistrate Gedion Kage.
Libyan authorities have since rescued the minor, who is
receiving medical treatment in Tripoli.
Kenya’s Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) detectives are
working with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs to facilitate the
child’s safe return home.
However, the pursuit of justice is far from over.
While the accused remain in custody awaiting plea-taking, the
family is urging the government to trace the ransom payments and dismantle the
alleged Eastleigh-based human trafficking syndicate.