Terror threats send institutions into panic.

Arusha Regional Police Commander Liberatus Sabas.

A rumour about an imminent threat of a multiple terror attack at various institutions circulated on social media yesterday morning, causing widespread panic

 

The messages emanated among students and staff at the Institute of Accountancy in Arusha (IAA) and resonated at the St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), the Institute of Finance Management (IFM) and taken up by the social media especially with employees and relatives of the Tanzania Electric Supply Company.

 

The various institutions had reportedly set their security equipments and alerts to ensure whoever enters is thoroughly checked for security reasons.

The message circulated on different social media outlets urged the public to be vigilant owing to a possible terror attack.

 

The circulated message claimed that four people in a Toyota Premio vehicle went at the IAA on Thursday midnight armed with four submachine guns (SMGs),, which  were  seemingly hidden.

 

The four asked security guards to allow them get into the campus to see a female student they said was their relative,  but, the college security guards informed the police, who came and arrest the suspect visitors.   

 

Arusha Regional Police Commander Liberatus Sabas dismissed the claims, saying he was surprised by the message. “It is mischief done by unscrupulous people who want to terrify people unnecessarily.”

 

“Arusha residents need not worry, we are here for them,” the RPC said, urging the public to ignore all such rumours.

 

Arusha Regional Commissioner Felix Ntibenda also assured the public, describing the rumours as absurd and baseless.

 

He maintained that Arusha was safe and his office in collaboration with the regional security committee has intensified security in key places across the city.

 

The RC also urged hotel owners to ensure that all security measures were in place including putting in place relevant equipment for metal screening.

 

IAA public relations officer, Sarah Goroi also scoffed at the claims; saying the message was meant to cause panic among the public, noting that college students were busy with their classes as usual.

 

A student at the institute, Joseph Mwita attested: “We are not aware of the source of the rumours; but what I see is that security has been intensified at the college campus.”

 

Gaston Leseiyo, the public relations officer with the Arusha Technical College (ATC), confirmed that the college was aware of the threat and measures were put in place just in case anything happened.

 

 ATC is planning to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras across the compound, including dining halls, hostels, classrooms and gates.

 

“Inspection is now mandatory for everyone getting into the college campus,” the official said.

 

Last week, nearly 150 students of Garissa University to the northeast of Kenya were massacred by a band of terrorists belonging to the notorious Al Shabaab group who invaded the campus.

 

 St. Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT) students were gripped by anxiety after receiving an internal memorandum from the students’ government, its Ministry of Defense and Internal Affairs which cautioned them to carry Identity Card (ID) inside and outside the campus as there are unconfirmed threats of terrorist attacks in different regions, including Mwanza.

 

The statement issued to the university community aimed at ensuring security and a conducive atmosphere at the university environment and the SAUT community at large, students’ government officials noted. 

 

 Fatma Mohamed Kimaro, a Bachelor of Science in Tourism and Hospitality Management student at SAUT said that many students had moved away from the campus for their safety after being threatened of being attacked by Al-Shabaab.

 

“We decided to shift from the college campus yesterday at 20.30 p.m. and joined our colleagues who have rented rooms off campus because we feel there is more security out there than being in campus,” she said.

 

Students had started to panic after seeing police roving around the campus, she said, noting that many students were not able to go to classrooms to continue with studies on fears of insecurity.

 

Efforts to contact the University Principal proved futile after being told by head of department Daniel Massawe of the tourism and hospitality management field that he was in class.

 

However Masawe couldn’t give more details on the matter, saying he wasn’t the right person for the matter.

 

SAUT students’ organization president, Sogone Wambura said that he was concerned that some students had fainted at that time, asking to be contacted later. However he couldn’t be reached after calling him several times.

 

Acting RPC, Assistant Police Commissioner Japhet Lusingu of Mwanza told this newspaper that police were sent to patrol various places in the hilly city including the university location to ensure that the security situation is stable.

 

“I am currently at Nyegezi bus stand but police officers seen at the university campus were assigned to patrol to ensure the safety of the surroundings,” he said.

 

In Moshi, Regional Commissioner Leonidas Gama advised Moshi traders to be extra careful with visitors from across the border as terror attacks were on red alert level in the region.

 

Traders in the municipality on Thursday closed their shops from morning to evening,, compelling the RC to come to talk to them on the reasons for such action.  The Kilimanjaro RC who also chairs the regional security committee explained that, all border regions are exposed to terrorists, which requires that traders take extra care with business visitors from outside the country.

 

A suspect in the Garissa horror, Rashid Charles Mberesero is a former Science student in at the University of Dodoma, reportedly hailing from Kilimanjaro Region’s Mwanga District. He had absconded from the campus a few months before he turned up in the wake of the slaughter in another campus.

 

“I know that you (traders) are vital for our nation’s economy…but my appeal to you is to be extra careful with anyone from across the borders as we have a ‘red alert’ on terrorism....” the RC emphasized.

The traders closed their shops on Thursday protesting the use of Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs), accusing TRA in the region to have the increased taxes by 100%.

 

RC Gama intoned in the meeting that the government in the region commends the traders for their socio-economic activities, but urged them to help the regional authorities in security precautions as they meet people from all sorts of places, including nearby Tanzania and further afield. 

 

*Reported by Lusekelo Philemon in Arusha, Amina Yahya in Dar es Salaam and James Lanka in Moshi