Why there will be no justice for killed university student, Akwilina

Dar es Salaam. The killers of 21 year old university student, Akwilina Akwilini, may never be known after all, with the police confirming today there was no active investigation ongoing over the murder.

The National Institute of Transport (NIT) student was killed in February this year by a stray bullet fired during a confrontation between the police and opposition party supporters. The bullet shuttered her head as she sat in a commuter van on her way home from college.

The police said today that armed officers involved in the confrontation have since been absolved and discharged after being held briefly. The director of public prosecutions earlier announced the file closed.

Asked today about the matter and whether justice will be seen to have been done for the victim, the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Commander Lazaro Mambosasa said there was no evidence to charge the police officers.

Mambosasa further said there was no inquiry into whether the opposition leaders in the protest also carried guns.  

“I can assure you that we have authorized gun ownership to many people and all [top leaders] who were present there [at the demonstration] own guns but we can cannot arrest anyone with a gun without proving they were responsible for the incident .”

 The officer said that what led to the death was the ‘illegal’ demonstration organized by Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) and not by the detectives who were called over to stop the demos.

“It should be remembered that the circumstances of the whole incident were clearly elaborated and it was found that the officers were not responsible for the death,” he said of the six policemen who were reportedly probed over the killing.  

Mambosasa told a press conference today that the officers were released. Several Chadema leaders including five members of parliament are currently facing charges pf incitement and holding an illegal assembly relating to the February fracas. They have all denied the charges, arguing the case was meant to divert the attention from the real killers. 

Chadema supporters were marching to the office of the Kinondoni District Executive Director to pressurize him to issue the party’s election agents with the affidavits in the run up to the 17 Februaryparliamentary by-election in Kinondoni.