Tanzanian opposition youth leader Abdul Nondo has been located after being abandoned at a beach, less than 24 hours after he was allegedly kidnapped in Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest city.
His political party, ACT Wazalendo, reports that Nondo sustained serious injuries and has been admitted to a hospital for treatment,
Isihaka Mchinjita, the party’s deputy chairperson, revealed that Nondo was blindfolded, subjected to severe beatings, and threatened with death during his ordeal.
The police have released a statement acknowledging the incident at Coco Beach late Sunday night and have launched an investigation into the case.
According to their report, Nondo was left at the beach by his captors and managed to seek assistance from a motorcycle taxi driver, who transported him to the party’s offices.
“Party officials quickly took him to the hospital for medical care. We are conducting an investigation and will pursue legal action,” stated police spokesman David Misime on Monday morning.
Following a hospital visit, Mchinjita provided an update at 02:00 local time (23:00 GMT), revealing that Nondo had endured prolonged physical abuse before being abandoned on the beach, where his captors subsequently removed his blindfold and handcuffs. Mchinjita noted, “Nondo reported that his abductors issued threats, warning him that if they were to capture him again, they would not hesitate to take his life.” The reasons behind his abduction remain unclear.
On Sunday, ACT Wazalendo reported that Nondo was abducted shortly after returning from the western region, where he had been campaigning for the party’s candidates in the previous week’s local elections.
He was taken from a bus station in Dar es Salaam during the early hours of Sunday by two individuals in a white four-wheel-drive vehicle. Authorities have stated that investigations are currently underway to identify the perpetrators and ascertain their motives.
This incident follows the kidnapping and murder of a senior leader from the main opposition party in September. In that case, Chadema’s Ali Mohamed Kibao was abducted from a bus, subjected to violence, and ultimately had acid poured on him. President Samia Suluhu Hassan condemned the act and called for a thorough investigation into the murder.
