In an incident that echoed the hit Hollywood TV drama 'Prison Break', a murder suspect held at the notorious Segerea Prison in Dar es Salaam has escaped from detention under controversial circumstances.
Prisons authorities say they are now conducting a comprehensive manhunt for the escapee, identified as Richard Shirima.
The Principal Commissioner of Prisons, Augustine Nanyaro, confirmed to THISDAY that Shirima, whose place of domicile was cited as Kimara in the city, made his getaway from the Segerea facility on the edge of the city's Ilala municipality on Tuesday last week.
The incident was made all the more questionable by reports that he (Shirima) had openly bragged to the police officers who arrested him that he would indeed escape from behind bars in due time – and has now made good on his promise.
Said Nanyaro: “It is true that the prisoner identified as Richard Shirima escaped from the Segerea prison. The prisons department in collaboration with the police force are now haunting for him in all possible places he was known to frequent before his arrest.”
The prisons chief said Shirima was facing several charges, including murder in Primary Inquiry (PI) 32/2009 under which he is accused of killing another man in the Kimara area.
Other names said to have been used by Shirima in different places and at different times include Godfrey Daud and Jabiri Bakari (Godii).
According to THISDAY findings, Shirima was previously an agent of the Mohamed Trans company, and when arrested was found with documents belonging to the man he is said to have murdered.
He is said to have told the arresting police officers that he would escape from custody...and that is exactly what happened.