PROFESA IBRAHIM HARUN LIPUMBA MANHANDLED BY POLICE IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA

By Gadiosa Lamtey, THE GUARDIAN TANZANIA.

28th January 2015

Civic United Front (CUF) chairman, Professor Ibrahim Lipumba, in a police van in Dar es Salaam yesterday after being arrested allegedly for taking part in an illegal demonstration.

Police in Dar es Salaam have  arrested Civil United Front (CUF) National Chairman, Prof Ibrahim Lipumba and 32 other party followers  allegedly  for holding a demonstration without permission.

The party followers who were marching in memory of their fellow party followers who were killed in Zanzibar in 2001. 

By the time  this paper was going to bed they were still being interrogated at the Central Police Station.

“We arrested 32 CUF followers – two women and 30 men including Prof Lipumba for holding a demonstration without a permission. We are interrogating them at the Central Police Station and we may give them bail for  those who will meet the conditions afterwards,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police who is also Chief of Police Operation for Dar es Salaam Zone, Simon Sirro in an exclusive interview with this paper.

However, he said, the police are still looking for other party members who managed to escape the arrest.

He said the suspects will appear before court today once investigations were complete. 

According to eye witnesses, before arresting Prof Lipumba and his party followers, police fired gas canisters to disperse the members.

“Prof Lipumba arrived here with a letter from the Central Police Station saying the  demonstration had been cancelled . However, we disagreed with decision because our intention is in memory of 60 people- who lost their lives in Zanzibar. So we decided to go to Mbagala. But when we reached Mtongani roundabout the police arrested us ,” said one of the eye witnesses who preferred anonymity.  

Prof  Lipumba had difficult time to convince the party  members to cancel the planned demonstration.

“There were two groups one at Temeke area while the other at Zakhiem. As he was telling the group at Temeke that the police had cancelled the demonstration due to suspicion  terrorism related acts, the group disagreed,” said the sour.

According to the source, after informing the group, he was leaving for Zakhiem to deliver the same message the followers were behind him.

“When the police saw him in the procession  on the  way to Zakheim, they thought the demonstrations  was going on as planned,” said the source.

Another party follower Salum Kitindo said the government is not fair when it comes to demonstrations by oppositions parties even if the demonstrations were peaceful.

“We wonder why police use too much force to arrest innocent  people . This shows that the opposition parties were a threat,” he said.

Another member of the party Mohamed Mbaga said CUF leaders sent the  letter to police  three days before. 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN