Police net six ‘mbwa mwitu’ gang leaders

Police in Dar es Salaam have arrested six people suspected to be ring leaders of the bandit groups who have been terrorizing various neighborhoods in the city. The culprits are among members of a group known as ‘Panya Road’ and ‘MbwaMwitu’ who move around in large groups of up to 150 individuals, breaking into homes and robbing the occupants of laptops, mobile phones, electronic appliances, cash and other valuables.  The commissioner for the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Suleiman Kova told reporters in a press conference on Saturday last week in Dar es Salaam that, the group have been threatening safety of the people living in Kigogo, Magomeni, Tabata, Manzese and Mbagala areas.

The commissioner for the Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Suleiman Kova  

He said investigation has revealed that the incidents occurred on 18^th and 20^th May this year after two robbers were killed who were   among the thug groups. “After the terrorizing tension rose in various parts of the city, police conducted serious investigation where the six bandits were arrested, four of them Kinondoni residents and the other two from Temeke,” said Kova.  The arrested bandits are Athuman Said (20), Joseph Ponela who is a Boda Boda rider, Clement Peter (25), Roman Vitus (18) all residents of Kigogo, while others are Mwinshehe Adam (37) and Daniel Peter (25) from Temeke.

 This group of robbers ‘Panya Road’ and ‘Mbwa Mwitu’ attack people walking alone, stealing their valuable belongings and they are usually armed with machetes, clubs and iron bars. Kova said that on 18^th May this year one person was killed by angry residents after he tried to steal a motorcycle in Kigogo. “On 20^th May after the burial of the culprit, a group of those people believed to be Panya Road members attacked the area and terrorized neighborhoods,” he said During the fight with the residents another robber was killed and he was supposed to be buried on the 22^nd but he was not buried on that day due to the tension. He said people at the area started to spread the messages that the Panya Road group will re-emerge, so he was buried on the 23^rd after police intervention. The police have managed to control the situation, but there are people who are spreading messages saying that in some places gang groups continue to attack the area, the commissioner added.