Thursday April 29, 2010
Local News

Hunter buried secretly in Rukwa


From PETI SIYAME in Sumbawanga, 28th April 2010 @ 12:00,

DRAMA unfolded in Ilunde Village in Mpanda District, Rukwa Region, when villagers discovered a fresh grave in which the body of a hunter, Khatibu Ally (40), was buried secretly.

A fellow hunter, Venance Nkomo, who was missing was suspected to be the killer.
It was alleged that Venance or another man must have shot Khatibu accidentally during the hunt near the village. The villagers discovered the grave at noon on Monday and reported the matter to Inyonga Police Station.

Inyonga Primary Court issued a warrant order authorizing the police to dig out the grave and 'exhume whoever was buried there.' Most Ilunde villagers were thrown into a state of confusion when what was exhumed from the grave turned out to be the body of their fellow villager whom they immediately identified as Khatibu. The body had a bullet wound on the right thigh.

The body of the deceased was later handed over to his relatives for burial after all processes involving postmortem were concluded by a team of medical personnel from Mpanda District Hospital.

According to the medical team that conducted the postmortem on Khatibu's body reported that the cause of his death was largely attributed to excessive bleeding following a dangerous bullet wound on his right thigh.

Rukwa Regional Police Commander (RPC), Isuto Mantage named the key suspect as Venance Nkomo (45) a peasant and hunter from Ilunde village who accidentally shot to death his fellow hunter Khatibu on April 6, this year near Nsato River near Ilunde Village.

The two had gone out hunting with another man whose name could not be obtained. They were hunting hippopotamus.

However, according to police it was not yet clear if the deceased and his fellow hunters had permits that allowed them to hunt any wild animals including hippos in any of the wildlife sanctuaries in the district.

Narrating the incident the RPC said that preliminary investigations reveal that Khatibu was accompanied by other hunters, including Venance.

''Shortly after they started hunting Venance aiming at a wild animal and fired his gun. But he missed the animal and accidentally hit Khatibu in the right thigh. The victim died shortly later due to over-bleeding. ''However, the make of the firearm that allegedly was used to shoot Khatibu was not established,'' said the RPC.

Venance and the other (unknown) hunter buried the body of Khatibu near Ilunde village. Then they disappeared with all firearms immediately. He further said that police had already launched a manhunt for the two suspects (including Venance) who are still at large.

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
They were hunting hippopotamus.

Errr. call that poaching hippopotmus