A Nairobi-based lawyer has been arrested after investigations linked him to an alleged attempt to take ownership of land registered under another person, with detectives accusing him of relying on fraudulent documents to support the claim.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said Abdulahi Musdaf Hussein was arrested by officers from its Headquarters' Land Fraud Investigations Unit (LFIU) following investigations launched after the registered owner reported the matter.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the DCI said the investigations established enough grounds to recommend criminal charges against Hussein. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) reviewed the case and agreed with the recommendation that he be charged with making a false document and uttering a forged document.
According to the agency, the complainant bought the parcel of land in 2005 and had remained in peaceful possession of it for years before learning that another person was laying claim to the property through the courts.
The DCI said the dispute came to light in November 2023 after the landowner received court documents showing that Hussein was claiming ownership of the same parcel.
"The complainant, who purchased her parcel of land in 2005, had been enjoying peaceful possession of the property. However, in November 2023, she was shocked to receive court documents indicating that Musdaf was claiming ownership of her land." The DCI said in a statement.
After receiving the complaint, detectives from the Land Fraud Investigations Unit opened investigations to establish how the ownership claim had arisen and to examine the documents presented in support of it.
Once the investigations were completed, the findings were forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal review and direction.
According to the DCI, prosecutors agreed with the investigating officer's recommendation that Hussein should face criminal charges.
"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."
Detectives later traced Hussein to Nairobi's Central Business District, where he was arrested before being placed in custody.
The suspect is currently undergoing processing ahead of his planned arraignment in court.
The DCI noted that land fraud remains among the most common property-related offences handled by investigators, with many cases involving alleged forged documents, competing ownership claims and lengthy court disputes.
The agency urged members of the public to report suspected criminal activity through its anonymous reporting channels as efforts to tackle land fraud continue.
It also encouraged the public to use its toll-free hotline and WhatsApp reporting platform to share information that could help detectives investigate land-related offences.