Wrong Turn: Bikers mistaken venture into Ngorongoro Conservation Area leads them into despicable horror
Arusha, Tanzania
Mystery still clouds the incident involving young men who were reportedly beaten and tortured by rangers in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area who also allegedly killed one of them.
The Police in Arusha, through the Regional Commander ACP Justine Maseju confirmed the incident and stated that three Ngorongoro rangers guarding the Loduare entry gate to the conservation area have been arrested in connection with the killing.
The deceased was identified as Seif Mussa who together with two other young men, were allegedly stripped naked, beaten and tortured by the Ngorongoro guards, after they rode into the conservation area on a motorbike.
The incident has raised uproar among human rights defenders, ordinary people and international communities who demanded to know why a simple bike detour should be punished with painful death.
Usually, motorcycles are prohibited in the conservancy, but also permits are required before anybody could venture into the protected precinct.
However, the three young men were said to have taken a wrong turn having been on their way to Babati District, in Manyara Region where they were going to attend a funeral and burial service of their other mate.
Why they decided to ride 170 kilometers from Arusha to Babati on a motorcycle is one of the daring moves, considering the bike was already overloaded above its normal capacity.
They apparently did not know their way around, well at least, this is according to the story given by one of the surviving youths who is still in hospital.
The third victim is said to be in critical condition and therefore cannot speak.
The Joyride bikers were Seif or Sefu Musa, or ‘Matejoo,’ who was killed and two others namely Salim Khamis, popularly known as ‘Pachaa,’ and Abdallah Nuru.
The trio are mechanics, working as apprentices at the garages located along December Bar street in Arusha City.
Their fellow mechanic had died and was to be buried in Babati, so they decided to ride all the way there on a motorcycle, to attend his funeral.
Somehow, they took a ‘Wrong turn,’ at Makuyuni, therefore instead of proceeding to Babati along the Minjingu road, they found themselves speeding towards Mto-wa-Mbu, climbed on to Rhotia and eventually Karatu without realizing they were over 60 kilometers off the course.
It is still not clear why they never bothered to ask for directions as they passed five hamlets, including Makuyuni Junction, Mto-wa-Mbu, Manyara Kibaoni, Rhotia and Karatu, without realizing they were lost.
“Let’s drink tea,” one of them suggested.
“No!” the others said. “We should at least reduce the journey before eating!”
So, they rode on.
Eventually they reached Ngorongoro, passing through the first gate which at that time was unmanned.
It was at the second entry, the main Loduare gate, that the bikers discovered that they were in the wrong direction.
So, they turned back and upon reaching the first gate, they were stopped by rangers who wanted to know where they came from.
It seems their account did not impress the guards who ordered them to get off their bike.
The Ngorongoro rangers told them that they were poachers who planned to illegally hunt wildlife in the conservation area.
They tried to plead with them but without success.
The story has that the guards knocked them down, stripped the boys naked and ordered them to roll on thorny bushes as they beat them up.
As they beat them up, they instructed the young men to call their families telling them to send 180,000/- as penalties.
Later, seeing one of the young men in critical condition and fearing that he may die there, they ordered the men to leave immediately.
I watched helplessly as my friend was dying …
However, being badly injured, exhausted and bleeding, they could no longer ride the overloaded motorcycle which eventually fell on them at the roadside.
“I just laid there helplessly watching one of my friends dying,” said Abdallah Nuru.
A rickshaw which was passing nearby, helped to take the injured young men and the dead one to the Karatu Lutheran Hospital, a designated District Health Center.
Unanswered questions
Is it possible really to be lost for over 100 kilometers without realizing it?
Especially because Babati and Karatu are totally in different directions
Why were the rangers so keen on beating the young men to death?
People are waiting for the final police report.