TANZANIA: THREE IMMIGRATION OFFICERS SENTENCED TO DEATH OVER KIGOMA KILLING

December 16, 2025:

Three immigration officers, Fredrick Kyomo, Joachim Trathizius, and Mabruki Hatibu, on December 15, 2025 were sentenced to death for the murder of Enos Elias, a resident of Kakonko District in Kigoma Region, whom they suspected was not a Tanzanian citizen.
The verdict was delivered by the High Court of Tanzania’s judge, Augustine Rwizile, who ruled that the evidence before the court proved beyond a reasonable doubt that no other person or group was involved in the killing apart from the three officers.
“Based on the evidence showing how they arrested him, assaulted him, and later took him to an unknown location where he was subsequently found dead, these acts are sufficient to establish that the accused committed the offence with malice aforethought,” Judge Rwizile said.
Mr Elias was arrested by the officers at the Kihomoka checkpoint in Kakonko District on October 27, 2023, and taken to immigration offices for questioning.
While in custody, he contacted his relatives and asked them to bring his National Identification Authority (Nida) card.
However, when the relatives followed up at the offices, they were informed that Mr Elias had been released on October 28, 2023.
He could not be traced thereafter, and his phone was unreachable until his body was discovered on October 29, 2023, and buried without the presence of family members.Medical evidence showed bruises on various parts of the body, with death resulting from head injuries caused by blunt force trauma.