Arusha. When the well-known mineral trader in Arusha, Abdilah Mussa (54), popularly known as Banjoo, was expected to be buried this afternoon, the location where he is alleged to have been kidnapped has raised many questions due to the high level of security in the area, including proximity to government buildings.
Banjoo, a resident of Sanawari in Arusha, is said to have been taken by unknown persons on 12 February 2026 beneath a ten-storey building owned by the Ngorongoro Authority in Arusha, as he was leaving the gym.
However, Banjoo did not reappear until 18 February 2026, when his body was found by the roadside in Bereko, Kondoa District in Dodoma Region, with severe injuries to the head. His arms were broken, and his eyes had been gouged out.
This brutal killing has not only caused fear and sorrow but also raised concerns among mineral traders in Arusha and questions about why the perpetrators remain at large.
On 20 February 2026, the Arusha Regional Police Commander, SACP Justine Masejo, said over the phone that he could not disclose anything publicly until the investigation is complete.
“The investigation is ongoing. We will provide information on the preliminary steps once we conclude,” he said when asked if anyone had been detained, cutting the call short.
At the scene, some traders said Banjoo left the gym and met three people in the reception area before leaving with them around the right side of the building.
“This man used to come here frequently to exercise and sometimes buy water. But that day, he went in to exercise and then left with three people I didn’t recognise. Two days later, I saw pictures online showing he had died,” said one witness.
Upon reaching the scene, Mwananchi quickly identified three security cameras: one at the front left, one on the right, and another in the centre near the main entrance. All monitored entrants and exits, as well as people moving around inside the building.
In addition to these cameras, there were armed police officers stationed to guard the building on the left and right sides, as well as at the reception area, protecting the property of traders with offices in the building.
The building is highly secure, bordered on the left by the Bank of Tanzania and nearby TRA offices and the headquarters of the regional and district police. On the right side, it faces the Arusha Regional Commissioner’s office, the city council building, and the Palace Hotel, which also houses an NMB Bank branch.
Given these surroundings, all buildings are equipped with security cameras and guarded by police, making it remarkable that the kidnappers were not masked, as reports suggest.
Mineral trader Festo Lucas said it was strange that the police claim the investigation is ongoing despite the availability of surveillance footage.
“We do not expect the police to say they are still investigating when people witnessed the abduction, and cameras were clearly present. We are calling for the truth to be revealed so we can understand the full circumstances of our colleague’s death,” he said.
Previously, Banjoo, a Sanawari resident, was reportedly taken by unknown individuals on 12 February 2026 beneath the Ngorongoro building in Arusha as he left the gym. He did not reappear until his body was discovered on 18 February 2026 at Bereko, Kondoa, Dodoma Region.
Confirming the incident over the phone, Dodoma Regional Police Commander, ACP Galus Hyera, said the report of the death had been received and the investigation is ongoing.
“We have received the information and are following it up, but it is true that the individual has passed away,” he said.
The deceased’s son, Mussa Abdilah, said his father left for his usual exercise on Thursday, 12 February 2026, but shockingly did not return.
“We tried calling him repeatedly with no answer, which raised more concerns. We began searching through relatives and close contacts but with no success,” he said.
"We decided to report his disappearance to the media, and then we were contacted to be told a body had been found on 18 February 2026 by the roadside in Bereko, Dodoma.”
Upon travelling to Dodoma to identify the body, they confirmed it was their father.
He said the body had multiple injuries from beatings, broken arms, and gouged eyes.
“It is difficult to describe, but we found my father’s body badly mutilated, with broken arms and, most horrifically, his eyes gouged out,” the son said.
He added that the perpetrators remain unidentified and appealed to the police to conduct a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
“We do not know who was involved in our father’s death. Reports say he was exercising and left with unknown individuals, which marked the end of his life until we found the body,” he said.
"We urge the police and all security agencies to help investigate fully so that the culprits are identified, the cause is understood, and our father’s justice is served,” he said, breaking down in tears.
The late Banjoo is survived by a wife and three children. He is expected to be buried today in the family cemetery in Moivo, Arusha.
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