Tobias Sylvester
Africa’s youngest billionaire Mohammed Dewji was kidnapped at point on Thursday morning by unknown masked men in Tanzania’s economic capital Dar es Salaam.
40 years old Mohammed Dewji, who heads the MeTL Group which operates in about 10 countries with interests in agriculture to insurance, transport, logistics and the food industry, was kidnapped outside a swanky hotel gym where he was going for his routine morning workout in Dar es Salaam.
Dar es Salaam police chief Lazaro Mambosasa also implicated foreigners in the crime during a press conference, adding they had “shot into the air” before bustling Dewji into their car. He said police were hunting for suspects and had already made arrests.
Three people have been arrested in connection with the incident and two of the abductors were believed to be foreign nationals, police added.
“Initial information indicates he was kidnapped by white men traveling in two vehicles,” regional governor Paul Makonda told journalists, adding that “this kind of incident is new here”.
The motive for Mr. Dewji’s abduction is still unclear.
