A radio journalist in Tanzania’s western region of Kigoma was found dead on Tuesday with medical reports showing that he was hanged by unknown assailants.

Issa Ngumba

Police identified the journalist as 45-year-old Issa Ngumba working with an independent radio station called Radio Kwizera. The journalist’s body was found in a forest at Kakonko town, south of Kigoma regional headquarters, regional police commander Frasser Kashai said, adding that the journalist’s left arm had a deep bullet wound. The coroner Primus Ijumaa said the journalist was shot in the arm before he was hanged.

Deo Sonkolo, chairman of Kigoma Press Club, said a handgun and two cellular phones were found beside the body of the journalist. “The gun found near the deceased had five rounds of ammunition with a 10,000 Tanzanian shillings bank note inside his trouser pocket,” he said. According to Radio Kwizera’s acting news editor Seif Upupu, the murder occurred on last Saturday when Ngumba’s family lost communication contact with him. “Ngumba’s wife Rukia Yunus said her husband left home in the evening saying he was going to the town center. He didn’t come back until the news of his death reached them three days later,” said Upupu.

Observers in Kakonko said Ngumba’s death might be connected to his report about a pastoralist, Imani Paulo, who was reported to have eaten parts of his shepherd’s body. “The story, which was broadcast on Nov. 24 last year, forced authorities to bring Paulo to court to face justice for diabolic offense,” said Upupu. In September last year, a television journalist was killed during confrontations between police and supporters of an opposition party in Iringa region. He was hit by a gas canister used by police to disperse supporters of the opposition party.

Xinhua