Courts/Police Log

There is a goat that eats cell phones in Unga-Limited

By Valentine Marc Nkwame

There is a goat that eats cell phones in Unga-Limited area. The ‘goat’ however happens to be a man sporting a goatee with a mad craving for mobile handsets.

According to residents of Unga-Limited the lecher simply known as ‘Sura ya Mbuzi’ (Goat faced) has been terrorizing the area by accosting passers-by, threatening them with knives or screw-drivers before robbing off their mobile phone handsets. “He is not interested in money!” they said.

‘Sura ya mbuzi’ whose real name or place of residency is still unknown is reported to carry out his rackets during the day and at dusk.

Les Mangelepa, a famous Kenyan pop band in the eighties, used to adlib most of their songs with this catch-phrase; “There is a goat that eats saxophones … there is a goat that eats radios!’ It now seems like there is a goat that eats mobile handsets in Arusha, precisely Unga-Limited.

The ‘goat’ is reported to hound women during the day and men during the night. His victims recounts the ‘robber’s’ generosity. “He lets you extract your SIM card and then handle out the empty cellular phone,” they claim.

The goat is said to operate in a radius covering the area from National Milling granaries down to Soko-Mjinga, Daraja-Mbili, Sinon, parts of Esso and Kwa-Milano area. Recently he used to waylay people at the Sun-flag junction but a home militia operation has forced him to shift base elsewhere.

A team of home militia men (mgambo) actually managed to arrest ‘the goat’ last week. It was about 8.00 pm and reportedly gave him a good beating. However a couple of other thugs appeared from nowhere and started attacking the militia men. ‘Sura ya mbuzi’ succeeded to escape during the fracas at which one person got arrested.

The suspect, believed to be a long companion and ally of the ‘goat’ was reportedly found with a handset whose ‘market value’ is said to be around Tsh. 350,000 believed to be a stolen item. He was taken to the Unga-Limited police post but his identity was not revealed on that he is helping the police to track down ‘Mr. Goat!’

Cellular phones and related accessories such as headphones, lithium batteries and chargers are said to be currently targets of thugs in Unga-Limited area, a place once infamous for criminals targeting Television sets. TVs as it seems are no longer marketable.

Meanwhile in efforts to combat escalating crime cases in the densely populated areas, village chairmen and ward officials in Unga-Limited, Sokon-One, Sombetini and Daraja-Mbili areas have resorted into organizing fund-raising activities to collect money ‘to buy guns’ that would help in night patrolling activities.

However, the move has been received with mixed feelings by residents who are compelled to contribute Tsh. 2000 each towards the cause. A number of them claim to be tenants who can always shift from one ward to another, thus they figure, that the exercise should not involve them.

 

Phone stolen at knifepoint

By Our Correspondent

Armed robbery and theft of cellular phones are now somewhat common offenses in Arusha. Twenty-year-old Edwin Edward of Kijenge last week stood in the dock to listen to a similar charge being leveled against him.

Prosecutor, Inspector Chrispian Rweyunga pressed the charges before Resident Magistrate Debora Msofe on June 25.

The accused is alleged to have committed the offence on June 22, this year at about noon at Kijenge area in Arusha region.

The accused allegedly stole one cellular phone of Nokia make valued at Tsh.220,000, property of one Lulu Emanuel.

The accused is said to have brandished a knife and bottle threatening to stab the said person in order to obtain the said phone.

The accused denied the charges and he was still under custody until July 7 this year when the case comes up for another mention.

Sinon man nabbed over rape allegations

By Our Correspondent

Emmanuel Wilson (28) a resident of Sinon area is in police hands on allegations of raping a 13 - year old Standard Seven pupil  after threatening her with a knife.

Narrating the story, the Arusha Regional Police Commander Basilio Matei said on June 27 at 11 pm at Sinon, the mother of the victim girl asked Wilson to keep her daughter company as she was going to  the police  to report a person who had conned her  of Tsh.500,000

Wilson who was a neighbour readily agreed. When the mother went away he allegedly   threatened the girl with a knife and proceeded to rape her.

 Wilson is being questioned and will appear in court as soon as police investigations are over.

It is not so simple even  for a gang of 15

By Our Correspondent

It may be simple but still a popular drinking joint.  When undesirable elements realized  that  what is known  as ‘Simple Bar’  in Sakina  isn’t really simple  because it attracts  hundreds of patrons daily they developed  a passion  to rob it.

On  June  24  the  criminal elements  formed a gang of 15, armed themselves with guns, iron bars, machetes   and  Maasai clubs  and invaded  the joint  at 9.00 pm  ordering every patron to freeze  while they emptied  they  pockets.  As the order was being issued a watchman  and some patrons  were mercilessly  clubbed down,  an indication that the  gangsters  were out to rob and kill.

No arrests were made immediately after the ordeal but last week  Godson (20) and Habib Omary (20) both residents of Unga Limited  were nabbed  for allegedly invading  Simple  bar at Sakina  along with 13 other gangsters.

According to the Arusha Regional Police Commander Basilio Matei, the gangsters armed with a pistol, clubs, iron bars and pangas (bush knives) invaded the joint, threatened the customers and workers by firing bullets into the air.

They wounded the security guard Morowa Mareso (45) and gave a panga cut to  a customer one Lemayan Mollel and the joint attendant Esta Rogathe (24) suffered a club smash on the head. The gangsters made away with  a drawer full of cash  and  several cell phones.

The two young men are in custody as  police are carrying out investigations to “catch” the others.

Man  found dead on ‘baraza’

By Happy Lazaro

Ally Badi (44) was last week found dead on  the  verandah  of a house belonging to one Fatma Balii (35) of Makao Mapya area.

According to the Regional Police Commander Basilio Matei a passer-by noticed the man “sleeping  tight on the baraza” and reported the matter  to the house owner who attempted to wake up the man but failed. Police were summoned only to find out that the man was dead. 

The cause of death is yet to be established and police investigations  are on-going.

Vehicle stolen after kidnap saga

By Our Correspondent

A resident of Njiro Block C Engutoto area is facing charges of armed robbery and stealing various items.

Frank Maunga (42) has been accused in court of committing the offence on June 5 this year at Ngarenaro area.

The prosecutor, Inspector Pili Misungwi pressed the charges before Resident Magistrate Abdallah Mkama on June 23 alleging that the crime was committed at 8.43pm.

Maunga is alleged of stealing a motor vehicle with registration number T570 AMV, a Toyota Corolla valued at Tsh.7,000,000, a Nokia mobile phone valued at Tsh.70,000 and cash money Tsh.22,000 all with a  total value of Tsh.7,092,000 the property of one Moses William.

It was allegedly that he used a gun to threaten his victim before stealing the vehicle and other items.

The accused is also facing a second count that on the same day, time and place he kidnapped Mosses William and later threw him off the car at Kilala in Arumeru.

The accused denied the charges and he was still under custody because armed robbery is not a bailable offence. He will appear in court again on July 9.

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