Mwanza — A POLICE operation covering Mwanza, Simiyu and Shinyanga regions has netted gangsters network leader, Mr Njile John (46), a businessman in Bariadi in Simiyu Region.
In a joint press conference on Saturday here, Regional Police Commanders (RPCs) of Mwanza, Simiyu and Shinyanga regions, Valentino Mulowola, Justus Kamugisha and Charles Mkumbo said that they got hold of Mr John on January 5, This year, following a shootout.
Meanwhile the police are tight lipped as to why they have waited two weeks to announce the capture. RPC Mulowola said that the alleged crime leader had started systematically killing off his counterparts.
The RPC reported that on January 5, this year, at 13:00 pm, police in Mwanza Region retained Mr Mabula Magana (36) of Bugarama Village in Maswa District, Simiyu Region who was found with a bullet wound in his right shoulder.
During interrogation Magana told the police that he was shot by John at Idukilo Village, Mwandui Luhambo in Kishapu District in Shinyanga Region. Magana admitted that the owner of the weapon is John.
That same day Mwanza police intelligence department went to Simiyu Region with Magana and together with their counterparts in Simiyu, conducted a crackdown and arrested John. John admitted to have been involved in a number of armed robberies in Shinyanga, Mwanza, Tabora, Singida, Simiyu and in Mwanza region.
In Simiyu Region, in July last year John with five other persons namely Mahenga Manda a resident of Longalyambogo in Itilima District, Simiyu Region, Mr Chambalu Nkono of Ushirombo in Bukombe District in Geita region and a trio of youth caused havoc.
Armed with a sub machine gun (SMG) a magazine with 40 bullets and a bag with 331 bullets, property of Mr Mahenga Nkinda of Maswa Game Reserve, the group hunted elephants and rhinos.
In the middle of the night John killed Mr Nkono. Simiyu RPC Charles Mkumbo said the killing of Mr Nkono shocked his counterparts whom he killed one after the other and he hid the weapon at Sima Village.
In August, last year, John and other alleged criminals invaded Bulubi Island in Ukerewe District where they invaded Samba Guest House and looted 3.5 mil/- worth of sardines from businessmen.
In the same month last year, it is believed that the gang invaded Igunga District in Tabora Region where they looted a shop and killed the shop owner and took an unknown amount of money and mobile phones. Still in August, last year it is alleged that John killed a businessman and took 18mil/- .
His accomplices were Kipisto Cheya and Magana who is a TV technician in Meatu District. In October last year in Mahaha Village, Magu District in Mwanza Region John and his alleged gang attacked shops took off with 3mil/- one motorcycle and killed one person.
John is believed to have collaborated with Mabula Magana, Magingi Kafuru, Thomas Pastory and Mashauri Ngulyati. In the same month, John, together with Kipisto Chenya and Magingi Kafuru looted 2mil/- in Malya, Ngudu in Kwimba district in Mwanza Region. A month later the gang a spare parts shop in Maswa District in Simiyu Region and stole I mil/-.
Shinyanga RPC Justus Kamugisha, said that on January 1, this year John and his group broke into four shops in Idukilo village in Kishapu District in Shinyanga Region.
They stole 3.2 mil/- and a number of mobile phones. In the shootout that broke out the thugs injured their counterpart namely Mabula Mgana and then rushed him to Maswa District for treatment.