Tanzania’s opposition youth leader, Abdul Nondo, has been found after being abducted and severely beaten, less than a day after his kidnapping in Dar es Salaam, the country’s largest city. The leader of the opposition party ACT Wazalendo, Nondo was discovered dumped at Coco Beach late on Sunday night, and his party reports that he sustained multiple injuries.
According to party officials, Nondo was blindfolded, severely assaulted, and threatened with death during his abduction. Isihaka Mchinjita, the party’s deputy chairperson, revealed that Nondo had been repeatedly beaten and left in a vulnerable condition. He was able to seek help from a motorcycle taxi rider, who took him to the party’s office before he was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Police have confirmed the incident, and spokesperson David Misime stated on Monday stating that the investigation is underway. “We are looking into the matter, and legal action will be taken,” Misime said. The authorities revealed that after being abandoned at the beach, Nondo’s captors removed his blindfold and handcuffs before fleeing the scene.
Following the traumatic experience, Nondo shared with his party members that his abductors had warned him that if they caught him again, they would not hesitate to take his life. The exact motive for his abduction remains unclear.
ACT Wazalendo has stated that Nondo was kidnapped just minutes after arriving from a campaign in the western part of the country for the party’s candidates in last week’s local elections. He was seized at a bus station in Dar es Salaam early on Sunday by two men traveling in a white 4×4 vehicle.
This shocking incident comes after the kidnapping and brutal killing of a senior leader from the main opposition party, Chadema, in September. Ali Mohamed Kibao was abducted, beaten, and later doused with acid. President Samia Suluhu Hassan condemned the attack and called for an investigation into the crime.
