Ten days have passed since activist Mpaluka Said Nyangali, popularly known as Mdude, was abducted from his home on May 2, 2025. The incident, which occurred in front of his wife and infant child, left behind a pool of blood. Since then, members of his party, CHADEMA, have launched a search across various areas of Mbeya and have camped at the party’s local offices, organizing prayer vigils and seeking information from police, whom they suspect to be involved in the incident.
The CHADEMA leadership in the Mbeya zone has announced a 10 million TZS reward for any information that leads to the discovery of Mdude’s whereabouts. Those with information are urged to contact +255759005971 or +255789291190.
One of Mdude’s close friends and his lawyer, Boniface Mwabukusi, who also serves as president of the Tanganyika Law Society, was in Mbeya on Friday, May 9, 2025, to follow up on his client’s case.
“No ordinary citizen can abduct Mdude. Whether they investigate or not, it is none of our business. Those who have been taking him all these years are well known, we want them to return Mdude,” Mwabukusi told reporters. Mwabukusi reported over the weekend that he had received death threats via text message, following his remarks to the reporters.
“The world is small, Mbeya is in our palm; you should stop talking too much. You love praise too much; prepare to leave behind a widow and orphans. Come to Mbeya as you said, let’s hunt each other,” the message read.
“If you are tired of being a lawyer, say goodbye to your family because you are in a battle. Say goodbye to your relatives, friends. You have deceived your client, and he is no longer around. Your days are numbered. continue lying to yourself that these are just threats, and in no time, you will regret,” the message sent from +255792705831 reads.
In a related development, although the police had earlier stated they had dispatched a team to Mbeya to investigate allegations of police involvement in the abduction, police issued a warning over the weekend regarding recent public accusations.
“Recently, while the Police Force is continuing its investigation into the incident, some individuals and CHADEMA leaders have issued various statements, including mentioning the names of certain police officers, accusing them of being involved in the incident without presenting any evidence,” the police said in a statement.
“In response to these statements, the Mbeya Regional Police Force issues a strong warning to any person or group of people with ill intentions not to attempt or dare to engage in any form of crime, including harming police officers or their families. Moreover, before thinking of doing such acts, they should seriously reconsider and not think that committing such acts would be easy for them,” the statement emphasized.
