- Special 80-strong task force deployed
MYSTERY still surrounds the violent incident at Vikindu in Coast Region where a police officer was shot dead by bandits shortly after midnight on Friday.
Investigation into the matter at the scene of the shooting yesterday produced mixed feelings and emotions.The
Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police Commander, Mr Simon Sirro, has said
that more than 80 police officers were yesterday deployed in some parts
of the city, Vikindu and Coast Region to monitor the situation.
The day-long survey by the ‘Sunday News’
came up with questionable accounts as residents and the area’s local
government leader gave contradicting explanations.
Vikindu East Village Chairman, Mr
Mohammed Maundu, admitted that he was not aware of the ‘bandits’ until a
barrage of bullets rocked the community on Friday night. He knew the
house where the suspects lived for about 36 months as tenants but was
ignorant of their mission.
Vikindu is located in Mkuranga District
which owns four forest reserves and covers 51 per cent of the total
forest area in the Coast region.
Located in the southern part of Dar es
Salaam, Vikindu East Village, which is home to over 3,000 residents,
according to the areas’ local government leader, accommodated strangers
for about three years, though most of the locals knew nothing about
them.
“I admit that these people lived in the
area of my jurisdiction though I was unaware of their motives ...,” he
said. Mr Maundu affirmed that Vikindu was a fast-growing place thus it
was hard to know every person who either lived or visited the area.
One of the residents, who owns a shop at
the village, gave a different account suggesting that the suspects were
among his daily customers. He told the ‘Sunday News’ that he never
suspected that such a family had ill intentions as they treated him
friendly.
However, the reaction from the residents
shows that the area was often experiencing robberies as the village is
located near Kongowe forest which could be a hideout for criminals. An
impeccable source told this paper that the organised criminal group
which had been on a revenge mission could have its base in Mkuranga
forests.
Another resident, Ms Rukia Mnende, who
lives next to the house which was occupied by the suspects before being
flushed out on Friday, said she knew the owner of the house.
She, however, explained that the house
owner shifted to Temeke municipality, but she could not identify those
who rented the building for the last three years, until last Friday,
when they engaged the law enforcers in a shoot-out. Another resident, Mr
Salum Mpili, told this paper that the suspects were night movers, thus
making it difficult to trace their undertakings.
Yesterday’s spot-check also revealed
that the residents were still gripped with fear. A number of residents
called for intensified inspection to unearth more criminals who might
have turned the place into a battle field.
What threw them into such disgusting
panic, according to the area leader, is the fact that even after the
house was put under siege, no weapons were recovered.
He wondered that despite the intensive
exchange of fire that left a top police officer with the anti-robbery
unit dead, the police did not confiscate any weapon, signalling that
other suspects had escaped with firearms.
Commander Sirro assured city residents
of their safety, insisting that security organs were alert and would
foil any criminal attempt. Hesitant to disclose more details, the zonal
police chief only confirmed that several bandits were killed during the
exchange of fire and others arrested.
Talking earlier with the ‘Sunday News’,
the Coast Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Evarist Ndikilo, said Friday
night's operation at Vikindu was conducted by a special national task
force.
He noted that the regional security and
defence committee is set to convene next week, among others, to map out
and strategise an effective mechanism to address the situation.
Mr Ndikilo noted that last Thursday’s confrontation was a wakeup call that “an enemy was at our doorstep.”
He admitted that Coast Region,
especially Mkuranga District has been experiencing repeated attacks
characterised by incidents of weapon snatching that has compelled the
government to devise well-thought ways to suppress the criminals. “We
have laid down strategies to handle the situation.
I can’t mention any names. Revealing the
names of criminals is the same as disclosing war techniques to the
enemy. We are busy now, when we have information worth sharing we will
do so. But for now, that is all I can say,” Mr Ndikilo said in a
telephone interview
No comments :
Post a Comment