Tanzanian PM orders investigation into killings of 7 people dumped in river

Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Monday ordered investigations into the recent killings of seven people whose bodies were dumped in the Ruvu River in Bagamoyo district, Coast region.

"The police must promptly unlock the mystery behind the killings and find perpetrators so that they are prosecuted," Majaliwa told a Muslim religious festivity in the east African nation's central region of Singida.

The prime minister was reacting to reports last week that seven bodies of unidentified men aged between 25 and 35 were found floating in the crocodile-infested river. The bodies were covered in polythene bags fitted with rocks.

"We can't accept such a senseless act," said Majaliwa, ordering the Minister for Home Affairs, Mwigulu Nchemba, to thoroughly investigate the grisly incident and bring to book the culprits.

Bonaventure Mushongi, Coast Regional Police Commander, said it was highly possible that the deceased were illegal immigrants but that was not confirmed so far.

He said although the bodies were decomposed, they showed traces that the deceased were of Kushite ancestry from Ethiopia.

"After the bodies were retrieved police searched a nearby forest and discovered a group of 81 abandoned Ethiopian illegal immigrants," said Mushongi.

He added: "The illegal immigrants were all in poor health. It seemed they were abandoned for days without food or water."

Mushongi said the Ethiopian illegal immigrants were smuggled in the country by sea using illegal ports in the nearby area.

"Human traffickers are known for their cruelty, and perhaps when they discovered that some of the immigrants had died they decided to wrap them in the bags with rocks and toss them in the river thinking they might not be found," said the regional police boss.

Mushongi said when the investigations are complete the police will make it public on what had really transpired. Endit