Two suspects held over murdering children for 400,000/- payment

KATAVI: POLICE in Katavi Region have apprehended four people for allegedly murdering two children aged two and 13 years old.

The accomplices were hired to murder over promise to be paid 400,000/-.

Likewise, 120 people have been arrested for allegedly committing various crimes including theft, house breakings and being in illegal possession of homemade firearms and illicit brew popularly ‘gongo’.

Updating the journalists during the media briefing held recently in Mpanda Municipality, Katavi Regional Police Commander Caster Ngonyni confirmed the apprehension of 124 suspects during the special operations and routine patrols in the region.

She named the four suspects allegedly murdering the two minors as Ditto Mathias (37), Moses Said (52), Yohana Leornad (35) and Kija Maige (25), all are residents of Kabatini village in Tanganyika district.

Equally the RPC named the murdered minors as Maria Mtevu (2) a daughter of a teacher of Kabatini Primary School, Ms Rose Kavita, and her house girl-Ester Enock (13)

“The suspected murderers alleged to have been hired by the boyfriend of Ms Kavita at 400,000/ – for sheer jealous,” pointed out the RPC Ngonyani.

The RPC went on to say that “the boyfriend of Ms Kavita sent the murderers with instruction to kill Ms Kavita at daylight at her house but when they arrived at the scene of incident, she was absent. They then decided to kill the minors after they (minors) started hysterically crying for help” she added.

She confirmed that the boyfriend of Ms Kavita is still on run.

In a related development, the RPC said three other suspects were nabbed in possession of two stolen motorbikes while ten others in possession of stolen items and house breakings.

“During special operations we arrested 75 people for hosting traditional doctors nicked named as kamchape or lambalamba who are blamed for conducting activities related to witchcrafts.

Also 31 people have been nabbed in illegal possession of 320 liters of illicit brew ‘ gongo’ illicit drugs known as banghi, a homemade firearm and a skin of hyena” explained the regional police boss.

She further explained that all suspects will be arraigned into court after preliminary investigations of their case are completed.