Author: PETI SIYAME
AfricaPress-Tanzania: A FIFTEEN year old standard five pupil from Kakese Primary School in Mpanda Municipality, Katavi region escaped forced marriage by a whisker after police stormed the wedding ceremony.
The girl who was supposed to be married to 30 year old Mussa Nyorobi breathed a sigh of relief after police stormed the wedding celebration a few minutes before the marriage could take place.
The parents of the groom are alleged to have given the girl’s parents a dowry of 12 cows.
In the course, police officers arrested 15 members of both families, including the parents of the girl for interrogation.
Reports from the scene revealed that the invasion by the police officers caused a major fracas at the wedding, which forced several members of the two families to run for cover.
Narrating the story, the Katavi Regional Police Commander (RPC), Benjamin Kuzaga said the police arrested two individuals, Stella Paulo (20) and Samson Charles (30), who tried to deceive the police that they were the ones who were getting married at the botched ceremony.
“ The key suspect, the husband to be, Nyorobi, managed to flee from the scene, and we have mounted a major manhunt for him,” said the RPC.
Mr Kuzaga said that a timely tip off from law abiding citizens enabled the police to apprehend 15 members of the two families who attended the wedding ceremony, including parents from both sides.
“ Police officers acted swiftly and stormed the wedding ceremony at few minutes before Nyorobi married the teenage school girl …. It was a traditional marriage,” explained the RPC.
According to the RPC, curious members from both families, after sensing the presence of law enforcers at the place, took Nyorobi and the girl to a temporary hideout in efforts to protect them from being arrested.
Instead, Stella and Simon appeared wearing wedding outfits, pretending that they were the ones who were getting married in a bid to deceive the police officers, the RCP further explained.
Commander Kuzaga added that all 15 suspects will be arraigned in court soon after preliminary investigations of their case are over.
