Questions as five go missing in Dar es Salaam for three weeks

Dar es Salaam. Fears have gripped parents and relatives of five young men who have reportedly gone missing for over three weeks now.

The five young men, who are described as Kariakoo traders, went missing since December 26 when they left for a beach party in Kigamboni.

Some relatives said they received the last communication from the young men that they had been arrested by the police but their whereabouts remains a mystery.

“We have visited various police stations, hospitals and even morgues but got no clue yet,” said Mr Longili Martin, father of one of the disappeared young men.

“As I speak to you, I’ve just been at Msimbazi and Central Police stations to see if there was any development. Unfortunately, there is none. The police only say that they are investigating,”he said.

Mr Martin, a resident of Gongolamboto explained that he last communicated with his son Edwin Kunambi on December 23, when he invited the son for Christmas celebrations. According to him, Edwin told him that he would not join the family because he would be busy and promised to join them on New Year Day.

When contacted, Dar es Salaam Regional Police Commander Jummane Muliro said he was aware of the missing young men and police were currently conducting investigations into the matter.

He denied claims that they had arrested the men whom they are now looking for.

“Some family members have reported the matter to the police and we are saying that not every missing person is arrested by the police. Not every missing person is dead, several times children go missing and they are found somewhere else…. Therefore when a person goes missing people should be patient,” he said.

According to him, when he was Shinyanga and Mwanza RPC, almost every day people would go to the mines, stay there for six months and come back after they failed to get what they expected.

“When police arrest people, we normally announce so that family members would be aware of their whereabouts,” he said.

Ms Sylvia Quentin, a relative of one of the missing young men called Tawfiq Mohamed, stressed that they have visited every police station, hospital and morgue more than twice, but all has been in vain.

“We cannot continue like this, today we are planning to demonstrate to the Minister for Home Affairs and see how he can help us,” she said.

Ms Tabu Saidi told The Citizen that her son Rajab Mdoe went to her house in Kinyerezi on December 26, asked for a car so that he could go to the beach in Kingamboni with friends for a party.

“I remember it was around 2 in the afternoon, when he came and took the car. When it was past midnight, I decided to call him but his phone was unanswered. It did not bother me, because I knew he would come back but I became suspicious when he did not return until morning,” she said.

According to her, she tried to call his phone in the morning and unfortunately, it was not reachable.

She added that on December 27, two of her son’s friends went to her house, to inform that her son had been arrested by the police when they were going to the beach.

“I have reported the matter to the police stations, gone through all hospitals and morgues but there is no clue,” she said, adding that she was helpless as what to do next.