Saturday, January 24, 2009

Police hold 2 suspects over albino death

By Japhet Francis, Sengerema

Police are holding two suspects in connection with the murder of a 48-year-old albino at Sogoso village in Sengerema district on Wednesday. The killing occurred a few hours after Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda warned that stern action would be taken against leaders who fail to protect albinos.

However, Mwanza regional police commander Jamal Rwambow declined to name names of the suspects, saying doing so would interfere with investigations. He said the suspects were apprehended on Thursday. Jonas Maduka was killed at around 9:00pm when a group of people arrived at his house, asking him to show them a house of his father-in-law, Robert, who died recently. "Maduka, who was having a supper with his four children, believed that the strangers truly intended to visit the bereaved family," Mr Rwambow said. His wife who was also an albino is dead.

The strangers told him that they hailed from Isore village also in the district. But suddenly the strangers grabbed him, chopped off his right leg and fled with it. The body was found with wounds on the head, hands and the remaining leg, which was also about to be chopped off.

Upon getting information of Maduka's killing, Mwanza regional commissioner James Msekela, police special operations commissioner Peter Kivuyo and regional police commander Jamal Rwambow went to Sengerema the same day to investigate the murder. Dr Msekela chaired an emergency meeting of the district security and safety committee and devised strategies to protect Maduka's family against ritual killers.

Mr Pinda declared 2009 the year of war against witchcraft-associated killings of albinos in the country on Wednesday in a meeting with regional commissioners in Mwanza City. During the meeting, Mr Pinda warned regional commissioner that they risked punishment if they failed to protect albinos. He also said the Government had suspended the issuance of licences to herbalists, until a better way was found to license them. He also called for the revival of vigilantes.

He told leaders of Mara and Mwanza local authorities that all herbalists would be screened before they get new licenses.

"Let herbalists engage in farming instead of fortune-telling," he said. He directed district commissioners to send police officers and other state organs respond immediately upon receiving information on albino murders to arrest the perpetrators.

Maduka's killing brings to 35 the number of albinos killed countrywide since December 2007. Ritual murders have also killed 2,866 elderly women since 2003 mainly in Shinyanga, Tabora, Mwanza, Singida, Iringa, Kagera and Mbeya regions.