‘Panya Road’ concerns raised in Dar, police act

Dar es Salaam. Police is Dar es Salaam have arrested at least 10 suspected members of a teenage armed gang going under the name ‘Panya Road’ following an ongoing special operation as victims of the group narrate their ordeals to The Citizen.

Starting last weekend reports circulated online with pictures showing various Chanika suburbs’ residents injured after attacks with sharp objects, with reports saying the acts were carried out by armed youth gangs.

The security threat did not only end with Chanika, as on Wednesday night on the streets of Tabata Kisiwani in the city, another similar gang reportedly stormed some shops and injured people, thus raising fears among residents of the country’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

Meanwhile, Dar es Salaam Special Zone Police have also confirmed that they have already arrested 10 suspects who raided houses on three Chanika streets, injured and looted property including mobile phones and television sets.

Speaking yesterday, City’s Special Zone Commander Jumanne Muliro said most of the arrested youths were aged between 13 and 21 and are allregedly led by one Abdullahzizi Abdallah and nine accomplices.

He said after being questioned, the youths admitted to have been involved in the incidents and continued to assist the police to ensure that their accomplices from various parts of the city were also arrested.

“The mobsters have been using machetes to rob people of their valuables, property and money, and we have spoken to street chairpersons and our goodwill ambassadors and agreed that the situation must be put to a stop as well as perpetrators face the law,” he said.

He noted that apart from the youths robbing people of their property in the Chanika incident, they also injured 23 people by attacking them them with sharp objects in various places of their bodies causing most to be admitted in hospital for treatment.

“These young people have been arrested and have said a lot of things that are essential to our operations,” he said.

Victims’ tales of the ordeal

Ms Mariam Hassan is one of the victims of the incident at Gogo Street in Chanika Ward, whose three children were seriously injured by the gangs who ended up looting some of her valubales.

“We heard people calling out ‘thief, thief’. Now we woke up, it was around 3am on Sunday and sat in the living room without opening the doors.

“But, suddenly we heard a bung on the door. The first time, then the second and the door gave way. A group of five people got inside and started attacking whomever they found in the house,” she narrated.

“They were demanding for money. They broke the leg of my son and another two were cut with swords. Now, I need Sh1.4 million for my sons’ treatment and I have nowhere to get it from,” she added.

Ms Joyce Sanga and Rashid Jumbe also reported the loss of valuables after their houses were raided by the invaders who were forcing the former to open the main doors.

In the case of Tabata, the story was no different as more than five shops on Twiga Street in Kimanga Ward were attacked and people injured while their belongings were grabbed from them.

“It was around 10pm, more than 15 young men with swords and bottles attacked me and demanded I give them money. Despite giving them, they still injured me and moved to other nearby shops where they did the same,” Mr Thomas Moshi, a shopkeeper, told The Citizen.

“Security forces must patrol the streets all the time and not just stop on the highway,” he added.