The body of the trader was found mutilated, with his eyes gouged out, by the roadside in Bereko, Kondoa District, Dodoma Region.
Arusha. A wave of grief and fear has gripped Arusha following the brutal killing of well-known gemstone trader Abdilah Mussa, popularly known as ‘Banjoo.’
The body of the trader was found mutilated, with his eyes gouged out, by the roadside in Bereko, Kondoa District, Dodoma Region.
A Sanawari resident in Arusha, Banjoo, is reported to have been abducted by unidentified persons on Thursday, February 12, 2026, under the Ngorongoro building after leaving the gym.
He did not reappear until Wednesday, February 18, when his body was discovered in Bereko.
Confirming the incident by phone, Dodoma Regional Police Commander (RPC) Galus Hyera, said authorities had received reports of the death, and investigations are ongoing.
“We have received the reports and are following up. But indeed, the person has died,” he said.
The deceased’s son, Mr Mussa Abdilah, said his father left for exercise as usual on February 12, 2026, but failed to return.
“We tried calling him, but there was no response. That raised our concern, so we searched with relatives and neighbours, but found nothing,” he said.
“We then reported him missing, and yesterday we were informed that a body had been found by the roadside in Bereko, Dodoma Region,” he added, sorrowfully.
Mr Abdallah said that upon travelling to Dodoma to identify the body, they confirmed it was their father.
He added that the body bore multiple injuries from beatings, broken limbs, and gouged eyes.
“It is difficult to describe, but we found our father badly mutilated, with all limbs broken and, worst of all, his eyes gouged out,” he said.
He said the perpetrators remain unknown and urged police to conduct a thorough investigation to bring them to justice.
“We do not know who was involved. Witnesses said he was seen exercising and then left with unknown individuals. We request the police and security agencies to investigate thoroughly to identify the perpetrators, determine the motive, and ensure justice,” he said, breaking down in tears.
One Arusha gemstone trader, Mr Jerome Adam, said the killing shocked and frightened city traders because the deceased had no known disputes.
“It appears to be personal, not business-related, as it is not an ordinary death. We fear similar brutality could happen to us,” he said.
“Worse enough, we cannot identify those responsible because Banjoo had no major conflicts. We urge the police to investigate thoroughly to find those behind this incident and bring them to justice,” he said.
