This archive report was first published on 30 July 2019.
On July 29, 2019, Tanzanian freelance journalist Erick Kabendera was abducted from his Dar es Salaam home in a shocking incident that has left his family in shock.
According to Kabendera's wife, the journalist was taken away by six people claiming to be police officers at around 4 pm. The assailants, dressed in civilian clothes, stormed the house, destroyed the internal phone system, and took Kabendera's mobile phone before bundling him into a waiting car and leaving.
“They told us he (Kabendera) was wanted by police but did not tell us why,” Kabendera's wife said in an interview.
The abductors also searched the home despite resistance from Kabendera and his neighbors. Those who tried to film or take photos of the dramatic arrest lost their phones during the incident.
Tanzania police, however, denied any involvement in the abduction, with Dar es Salaam police boss Lazaro Mambosasa stating, “I have not received any report on the matter.”
Kabendera writes for various regional and international publications.
