A Nairobi-based lawyer has been arrested by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over an alleged land fraud scheme in which he is accused of attempting to unlawfully claim ownership of a parcel of land belonging to another person.
The suspect, identified as Abdulahi Musdaf Hussein, was arrested on Tuesday by officers from the DCI Headquarters’ Land Fraud Investigations Unit (LFIU) following investigations into a complaint filed by the registered owner of the disputed property.
According to the DCI, the complainant legally purchased the parcel of land in 2005 and had enjoyed uninterrupted possession of the property for nearly two decades.
However, in November 2023, she was reportedly stunned after being served with court documents in which Hussein claimed ownership of the same land.
The unexpected legal claim prompted the landowner to report the matter to the LFIU, triggering investigations into the authenticity of the documents presented before the court.
The DCI said detectives conducted comprehensive investigations before forwarding the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for legal review.
“Upon receiving the complaint, LFIU detectives launched investigations into the matter. Once complete, the findings were submitted to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which agreed with the investigating officer’s recommendation to charge Musdaf with the offences of making a false document and uttering a forged document,” the DCI said in a statement.
Following the approval to prosecute, detectives tracked Hussein to Nairobi’s Central Business District, where he was arrested. He is currently in police custody undergoing processing ahead of his arraignment in court.
The latest arrest comes amid intensified efforts by the DCI to dismantle land fraud syndicates, which have increasingly relied on forged documents, fake ownership records and fraudulent court processes to dispossess legitimate landowners of their property.
Authorities have urged members of the public to conduct due diligence before purchasing land and to promptly report suspected cases of land fraud to investigative agencies, warning that those found engaging in document forgery and fraudulent land transactions will face the full force of the law.
