![Dreaded Special Service Unit members at Kahawa Law Courts where they faced 17 counts of abducting, torturing and causing the forced disappearance of three people, Mohammed Zaid Sami Kidwai, Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan and their taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania Mwange on July 22, 2023, as members of the disbanded Squad. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]](https://news.switchtv.ke/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/nJG50kUPIAon0zrBfPJBahmKsS4TXjTDEOCYXSwA.jpg)
Thirteen officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) found themselves in the defendant’s dock today, facing charges related to the disappearance of two Indian nationals and their Kenyan driver.
This incident has sent shockwaves through the Kenyan law enforcement community, as the accused officers allegedly participated in the abduction and enforced disappearance of Mohamed Zaid Sami, Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan, and their taxi driver, Nicodemus Mwania Mwange, back in July 2022.
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The accused officers were part of the now-disbanded Special Services Unit (SSU) within the DCI. Additionally, one officer is from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), and another from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) was implicated in this heinous crime.
![Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan (L) and Mohamed Zaid Sami (R) were reported missing together with their Kenyan taxi driver Nicodemus Mwania Mwange (not pictured) in July 2022. [PHOTOS: @zilfizak/Instagram] DCI](https://news.switchtv.ke/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/abd-og_image.webp)
In Kahawa Law Court, the fifteen suspects were formally charged with multiple offenses that include abduction with the intent to murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, subjecting a person to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment, and committing cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. They also faced charges related to cooperating in the execution of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and forgery.
While the suspects awaited their hearing, the public prosecutor delivered a resounding statement opposing their release on bail, highlighting the gravity of the crime.
“Due to the extreme seriousness of enforced disappearances, which constitutes an international crime, a violation of human rights amounting to a crime against humanity,” the prosecutor argued.
“The DPP recognizes that the investigations into this matter are complex, and I hereby direct the Inspector-General to inquire into the aspect of murder and torture as a Crime against Humanity under the International Crimes Act No. 16 of 2008,” the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions stated.
The suspects will remain in detention at the Kiambu GK Prison until November 3 when a ruling on their bail applications will be made.
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The victims, Mr. Sami and Mr. Khan, had come to Kenya in April 2022 to join then-deputy president William Ruto’s ICT campaign team for the August 2022 General Election. They mysteriously vanished on July 25 after being abducted outside the Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi.
Directly addressing the court, Principal Magistrate Gideon Kiage emphasized the importance of a fair and transparent trial.
“These allegations are deeply troubling, and it is our duty to ensure justice prevails,” Magistrate Kiage stated. “We must also remember that those accused are innocent until proven guilty.”
