Iringa police arrest rickshaw rider for allegedly raping children
What you need to know:
- ACP Bukumbi claims that Mr Msigwa has been deceptively posing as either a police officer or a social welfare officer to lure children into secluded areas, where he would then assault them sexually.
Iringa. Iringa police have apprehended Alex Msigwa (34), a rickshaw rider at Mawelewele in the Iringa Region, on allegations of multiple rape and violence incidents against children in various areas of the municipality.
Iringa Regional Police Commander, ACP Allan Bukumbi, announced the arrest during a press briefing yesterday.
He claimed that Mr Msigwa had been deceptively posing as either a police officer or a social welfare officer to lure children into secluded areas, where he would then assault them sexually.
"We have successfully apprehended the suspect, Mr Alex Msigwa, a resident of Mawelewele in Iringa Municipal Council, who is also a rickshaw rider, for his alleged involvement in various incidents in Iringa," explained ACP Bukumbi.
"He has been deceiving children, claiming to be a police officer or sometimes a social welfare officer, by threatening to take them to police stations while wandering in the streets."
The suspect is accused of raping the children in various areas, including Don Bosco forests, Isakalilo, Kitasengwa, Mawelewele, Mtwivilla, Kigonzile, Wilolesi, the forest near Mkwawa University College of Education (MUCE), and Mkimbizi Primary School. Reportedly, he would threaten children with a knife before sexually assaulting them.
Expressing concern over the rising incidents of rape in urban areas, ACP Bukumbi attributed the increase in such vices to moral decay and superstition.
Following the arrest, parents were urged to bring their children, who may have experienced these incidents, for identification purposes.
The investigation is ongoing, and upon completion, the suspect will be arraigned.
The parents, whose children were victims of the alleged crimes, have reported to the Iringa Police Station for the identification process, sharing their accounts.
The police are interrogating the suspect to unravel the entire network of rape incidents in Iringa town.
Reminding of a similar incident from 2019, where Mr Arnold Mlay, also known as BIG, a student at the University of Iringa, raped 12 children, ACP Allan Bukumbi urged the community to refrain from allowing children out at night, emphasising the importance of reporting and exposing criminals for proper legal action.
Speaking on road safety operations and education from January to November 2023, 27 drivers have had their licences revoked due to various offences, including speeding and carrying excess passengers.
ACP Bukumbi reported that out of the 196 instances they have brought before the courts, 164 have already resulted in judgements.
He urged the residents of Iringa and all citizens to collaborate with the police force by providing information on criminal activities.
Additionally, he emphasised the importance of being careful on the roads to prevent accidents, especially during the approaching Christmas and New Year period.
