Walewale Police arrest man for brutal machete attack on suspected phone thief

Police in the Walewale District of the North East Region have arrested a 25-year-old man, Rafai Tahiru, for allegedly attacking and inflicting multiple machete wounds on a victim he accused of stealing a mobile phone.

The incident occurred on Saturday, October 4, 2025, when Tahiru and two accomplices, who are currently on the run, allegedly tied up the victim’s hands and legs, placed him in a tricycle, and brutally assaulted him with canes before slashing his forehead and body with a machete.

According to a police statement issued on October 6, the victim was rescued by onlookers and rushed to the Walewale Government Hospital for emergency treatment, while the suspects fled the scene.

Following a swift intelligence-led operation, police tracked down and arrested Rafai Tahiru at his hideout in Tampulungu, a suburb of Walewale, on Sunday, October 5, 2025. A search of his room led to the discovery of a blood-stained machete, believed to have been used in the attack.

Police say Tahiru is in custody and will be arraigned before court, while a manhunt has been launched for his two accomplices.

The Walewale Police Command has condemned the assault, stressing that no one has the right to take the law into their own hands, and urged the public to report suspected criminals to the authorities rather than resorting to violence.