The man considered the youngest billionaire on the African continent, the Tanzanian businessman Mohammed Dewji, was kidnapped Thursday by gunmen in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), official sources said.
A 43-year-old METL Group leader in a dozen countries in the fields of agriculture, insurance, transport, logistics or agribusiness, Mr. Dewji was kidnapped while entering the gym of a hotel in the economic capital of the country, specified the administrative and police authorities.
“The first information indicates that he was kidnapped by whites from two vehicles,” Dar es Salaam governor Paul Makonda told reporters, adding that “this type of incident is new. “.
The police chief in Dar es Salaam, Lazaro Mambosasa, said foreigners had “shot in the air before forcing Dewji into their vehicle.
Police, who have identified suspects, have already made arrests, he said.
Born in Tanzania, Mohammed Dewji was educated at Georgetown University in the United States. In 2013, he became the first Tanzanian to cover Forbes magazine and in 2015 he was named Person of the Year by Forbes Africa. According to the magazine, his fortune was valued at $ 1.54 billion in 2018
Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2015, he is also the main shareholder of the football club Simba FC.
