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American evangelists robbed
2006-07-22 09:31:24
By Adam Ihucha, Arusha
Kilimanjaro police are holding five suspects in connection with an incident in which 33 visiting American evangelists and their Tanzanian hosts were robbed at gunpoint.
Regional Police Commander Venance Tossi confirmed the incident, which he said took place at Namwai in Hai district.
Tossi said the Americans are in the country at the invitation the Arusha-based International Evangelism Church. He said the missionaries were robbed of property valued at 3m/-.
He said incident took place at around 11.00am on Thursday when gangsters who wore face masks pounced on an American family that was riding in a private car and robbed them of 30,000/- and US$40.
”A short while later the gangsters hijacked two minibuses carrying 33 other American evangelists, who were accompanied by Bishop Eliud Isangya of the International Evangelism Church,” Tossi said.
The thus who wielded sophisticated firearms reportedly ambushed a Costa mini-bus and grabbed property belonging to the Americans.
According to Hai District Council Chairman Daniel Sandawe, the gangsters struck at 12:00 noon as the bus headed to West Kilimanjaro, where the church is located.
According to eyewitnesses, the gangsters rode to the scene of crime on motorbikes and began unleashing terror on motorists upon pitching tent.
Among the items stolen were mobile phones, cameras and an unknown amount of hard cash.
Sandawe said further that the gangsters later left to unknown destination towards Tingatinga village in West Kilimanjaro.
The police boss identified the suspects as Adam Victory, Efford Ezekiel, who was found in possession of 500,000/- allegedly stolen from the Americans, Daudi Longoine alias Jangala, who was also being sought by police in connection with other crimes, Hussein Mberwa alias Mdogoo, who Tossi said is a hardcore criminal and Joseph Meresoroo alias Lisman Lukumai,Tossi the arrest followed a tip off by wananchi.
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