A man accused of defrauding a land buyer of KSh900,000 has been arrested in Othaya, Nyeri County, after evading court proceedings in an ongoing land fraud case.

In a statement posted on its X account on June 5, 2026, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said detectives from the Land Fraud Investigations Unit (LFIU) tracked and arrested Andrew Gachagua Njui at his hideout in the Giathege area of Othaya.

According to the DCI, the suspect allegedly convinced a buyer that he was selling a parcel of land in Molo, prompting the complainant to pay Sh900,000 for the property.

The fraud was discovered after the buyer carried out an official land search and established that the land was registered in another person’s name.

“Fully convinced of the transaction’s authenticity, the complainant handed over Sh900,000 to Njui,” the DCI said.

“However, the deception was unveiled when the victim conducted an official land search, revealing that the parcel did not belong to the fraudster.”

Investigators launched inquiries into the matter, leading to the suspect’s arraignment before the Principal Magistrate’s Court in Molo.

However, Njui failed to appear in court when the case came up for hearing on May 26, 2026, prompting the court to issue a warrant of arrest.

The DCI said officers acted on intelligence reports and successfully traced the suspect to Nyeri County, where he was apprehended.

“Armed with reliable intelligence, detectives trailed the elusive suspect to his hideout in the Giathege area of Othaya, Nyeri County, where he was apprehended and taken into custody,” the agency stated.

Njui is currently being processed ahead of his next court appearance.

The DCI noted that the case underscores the need for members of the public to exercise caution and conduct due diligence before entering into land transactions.