RPC tells taxi drivers to arm themselves

BAK · 2009-04-27T23:45:32+00:00

2009-04-27 15:04:00 RPC tells taxi drivers to arm themselves By Khamis Saidi, Arusha THE CITIZEN The Kilimanjaro regional police commander Lucas Ng'hoboko has suggested that taxi drivers should now arm themselves against car hijackers. He said he was worried by the increasing rates of car hijacking in the region, especially within Moshi municipality. He suggested that one way to counter the problem was for the taxi drivers to arm themselves because there were inadequate policemen to patrol the entire area. The regional police boss made the plea when he was briefing the media on increasing car hijacking incidents in Moshi, especially those targeting taxis. In his statement made available to The Citizen in Arusha, Mr. Ng'hoboko said crime busters wanted members of the public to assist them in fighting crime, including car jacking by arming them with ordinary weapons. He said the law enforcers were worried of the situation because of the alarming rate where two car jacking incidents are reported daily in Moshi. He cited two incidents last week where one of which occurred on Nyerere street when three people pretending to be customers approached a taxi driver called Mr Wailes Willy. They demanded that Mr. Willy, who drives a Toyota Corolla with registration No.T 193 AMG, take them to the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) on the fringes of the municipality. However, half way before reaching the hospital, the driver was attacked, blindfolded, had his hands tied and thrown into a coffee farm near Mwenge University. Thereafter the thugs sped away with the vehicle which has so far not been traced. Nobody has been apprehended. The same day at around 7am, three other gangsters hired Mr Moses Kaaya who drives a taxi with registration no. T 340 AHG to take them to Gracier grocery from downtown. But before they reached the pub, the driver found himself blindfolded, his hands tied and thrown into a coffee estate before escaping with the vehicle. The RPC appealed to residents of Kilimanjaro to assist the police in tracking down the stolen vehicles and the car hijackers. He advised taxi drivers to be "extra careful" with people who approach them purporting to be passengers. He added that car hijackers would normally use several tricks including convincing the driver to stop half way in order to pick somebody. He also advised them to refrain from offering lifts to people whom they do not know as some of them could be criminals. "They should also carry ordinary weapons such as machetes to defend themselves in case they are attacked,� he told journalists. Car hijacking which is also a problem facing neighbouring Arusha region, has of late become a menace to residents of the two regions.

Thread starter BAK
Start date Apr 28, 2009

BAK

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RPC tells taxi drivers to arm themselves

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