Kenyan Politician Among 12 Arrested in Minnesota Over Attempt to Solicit Sex from Minor

A former Kenyan parliamentary aspirant is amongst twelve men arrested in Minnesota following a coordinated law enforcement operation targeting suspected child exploitation. 

The Eden Prairie Police Department confirmed the arrests, which occurred on Monday, involved individuals aged 24 to 46. The suspects are accused of attempting to pay for sex with someone they believed to be underage. 

In reality, the individual was an undercover officer. Amongst those charged is Abdullahi Yussuf Sheikh Nur, aged 46, who unsuccessfully ran for a parliamentary seat in Kenya's 2022 general election. Court documents reveal that Nur allegedly initiated contact via an online advertisement. 

Despite being informed that the individual was 17 years old, he continued communication. Nur was apprehended at a golf course with $250 and a mobile phone in his possession. 

The operation forms part of a larger effort targeting human trafficking and sexual exploitation along the Interstate 494 corridor, involving multiple law enforcement agencies in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Since 2016, Eden Prairie detectives have conducted 38 similar operations, resulting in over 400 arrests. 

These efforts have also identified more than 100 victims, who have subsequently received support services. Nur, along with nine others, faces a felony charge of prostitution involving a person reasonably believed to be between 16 and 17 years old. Under Minnesota law, this carries a maximum sentence of ten years imprisonment and a $20,000 fine. The remaining two cases are currently under prosecutorial review.