On September 18, 2024, at around 8:22 pm, Boniface Jacob, a former mayor of Ubungo and a prominent opposition figure from the CHADEMA party, known for his recent work on cases of abduction and disappearances across the country, was seen for the first time since his arrest earlier that evening.
Journalists, family, neighbors, and CHADEMA members gathered outside his home at Mbezi Msakuzi, waiting for his first appearance.
“Boni, are you good?” a party colleague asked as Boniface got out of the police vehicle. “I am good,” he replied, looking around as if trying to identify the approximately 15 people stationed outside his Mbezi Msakuzi home. This was Jacob’s first appearance since his dramatic arrest at approximately 5:09 pm at the Golden Fork restaurant in Sinza, Dar es Salaam.
Witnesses of the arrest said the entire incident took about 15 minutes. Around nine armed officers, including three in plain clothes, approached Boniface. They surrounded the table where he was sitting, confiscated his phones and those around him, and informed him he was under arrest.
Jacob responded by saying he wasn’t prepared to get into the police car but would follow them voluntarily. However, the police disagreed. This led to a standoff between Boniface and the officers, lasting about 15 minutes.
The situation escalated when Boniface jumped underneath the police vehicle. Officers then tried to forcibly pull him out by using a belt around his neck. A colleague of Jacob’s intervened, urging him to come out to avoid further harm.
At his home, where police searched, Boniface came out barefoot, wearing a striped collared T-shirt and blue jeans. Two police vehicles, carrying around 12 people including a state lawyer, and a police photographer, accompanied Jacob.
“There was a big struggle during his arrest. I picked up his T-shirt at the Golden Fork restaurant. So he was taken to the station bare-chested,” explained Jacob’s lawyer, Hekima Mwasipu.
He added: “Boniface was worried it might be an abduction. That’s why there was such a struggle, and he told me he believes his resistance helped to ensure he was taken through the proper police channels.”
Between 8:22 pm and 8:43 pm, discussions took place about who would enter Boniface’s house for the search. It was agreed that three witnesses from Jacob’s side, along with his two lawyers, led by Hekima Mwasipu, would enter. On the police side, six individuals participated, including the police lawyer and photographer.
Both parties agreed that everyone would be searched by both sides before entering the house, and no one was allowed to bring a mobile phone inside. The search began around 9:00 pm. Inside the house were Jacob’s wife and three children, including his infant, who was only a few months old. The search concluded around 11:36 pm, after which police took Jacob back to the Oysterbay Police Station.
“Police say he’s been arrested for publishing false information. For now, they’ve just taken some documents. We’re heading to Oysterbay Police, as he hasn’t yet written his statement. We’ll know tonight whether he’ll be granted bail,” said advocate Mwasipu.
Jacob’s Work on Abductions
Jacob has become a key figure in documenting abduction and disappearance cases in Tanzania. He said he has recorded approximately 180 cases where relatives have reached out to him regarding missing family members.
His focus on these cases began in April 2024 when he publicly announced on his X account (formerly Twitter) that anyone with a missing relative should send him the details, and he would publicize them.
Since then, Jacob has become something of an “abduction hotline” in Tanzania, often revealing shocking information that sparks extended discussions on social media.
“I have documented about 180 cases of abductions. I talk and meet with families who have lost their loved ones daily,” Jacob said during a Clubhouse session on September 10, 2024.
Jacob has also accused the police of being involved in some of these abductions. Recently, he publicly named a senior police officer whom he claims was involved in such incidents, a claim echoed by Edgar Mwakabela, a survivor of an attempted abduction.
Several of Jacob’s colleagues from CHADEMA have condemned the manner of his arrest, arguing that he would have responded if properly summoned by the police.
“If the police need any CHADEMA members, they should just summon us. No one would ignore the call. This kind of forceful arrest must stop,” said Henry Kilewo, CHADEMA’s Kinondoni District Chairperson, speaking outside Boniface’s home.
Many CHADEMA members believe Jacob’s arrest is linked to the party’s planned demonstration against abductions in the country, set for September 23, 2024, a protest that the police have so far banned.
The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) has expressed shock and disappointment over the arrest of the former Ubungo Mayor, Boniface Jacob, stating that the arrest was not conducted by proper legal procedures.
In a statement released by the center on September 18, 2024, LHRC explained that the forceful arrest of Boniface Jacob is part of a growing trend of arrests that do not follow legal protocols, with the relevant authorities failing to provide clear explanations when such incidents occur.
“Mr. Jacob was arrested today, September 18, 2024, while in Sinza, Dar es Salaam. According to information from witnesses and Mr. Jacob’s lawyers, how the arrest was carried out did not comply with all legal procedures, causing alarm,” the LHRC statement read.
“This arrest is part of a series of threats, disappearances, and oppression directed at human rights activists, especially those using social media to question and criticize government authorities.”
LHRC has called on law enforcement agencies to clarify the charges against Jacob and ensure that investigations are conducted transparently, with due legal processes followed.
