Dar es Salaam. Police have arrested four of the six main suspects involved in the gang rape of a girl, a case that drew widespread attention after a video of the incident went viral earlier this week. The suspects, accused of planning and carrying out the brutal crime, were caught in the Dodoma and Coast regions.
The
suspects are identified as Clinton Honest Damas, also known as Nyundo, Praygod
Edwin Mushi, Amini Lord Lema, and Nikson Idala Jackson.
In a
public notice released on Friday, August 9, 2024, the Police announced the
arrest of four more individuals in Dar es Salaam for sharing the video on
social media. These suspects are Flora Mlombola, Aghatha Mchome, Magatha
Jeremiah Budodi, and James Nyanda Paulo.
“Four
other suspects have been apprehended for spreading false information on social
media, claiming that the raped girl had died,” the statement reads.
The Police
also addressed another rumor, adding, “Another false claim says the girl’s
mother fainted to death. Two suspects have been arrested in Dar es Salaam and
Arusha.”
The people
arrested for spreading these false rumors are Amos Lwiza, Adam Dongo, Venance
Mallya, and Isack Elias.
The Police
confirmed that the search for the remaining two key suspects is ongoing. They
urged the public to provide any information on the suspects’ whereabouts,
warning that anyone found hiding them will also face legal action.
Additionally,
the Police warned against unauthorized visits to the victim's home. “The Police
Force would like to warn some unauthorized people who have been visiting the
place where the victim has been living to question her. Doing so is lowering
human dignity and adding pain to existing wounds they have in their hearts,”
the statement read.
The
incident occurred in May 2024 in the Swaswa Area of Dodoma but gained public
attention on August 4, 2024, when videos surfaced online showing five men
assaulting the woman while accusing her of having an affair. In the footage,
the victim is seen pleading for forgiveness from someone she identifies as a
law enforcement officer. The video, reportedly recorded by the attackers,
quickly spread across social media.
Mr. Jacob
Boniface, who posted about the incident on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday,
revealed that the victim, a resident of Yombo Dovya in Temeke District, Dar es
Salaam, was raped and sodomized by men who claimed to be “security officers.”
He further alleged that they acted under orders from their superior, who
accused the woman of having an affair with her husband.