Three suspects to face charges over trafficking, torture of Nairobi minor in Libya

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.

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.