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The Independent Observer > News > Four people burnt to death in Pemba

Four people burnt to death in Pemba

By Staff Writer
Four people from one family have been burnt to death by a 74-year-old man who later turned a gun on himself and died.

Police deputy spokesperson Danny Mwale said that it is believed that one of the victims is the wife to the suspect and that she had left their matrimonial home and gone to her mother’s house because of the suspects’ behaviour.

Jethro Makondo is believed to have set the dwelling of his victims on fire and the shot at some victims who tried to rescue the deceased person’s.

Mr Mwale said the suspect in trying to kill his victims tied the door of the house with a wire from outside and poured petrol in the two room house resulting into an inferno which killed the victims.

He said police rushed to scene and discovered that four people from one family were burnt inside the house which was set on fire by Makondo.

“Those that were burnt to death have since been identified as Josephine Hanyakama aged 82, her daughter Lenifer Ngandu aged 57, a Juvenile Nene Ngandu aged 8 and Hope Nyumba aged 12, later he opened fire on three of the rescuers who had rushed to the scene and then went home where he shot himself in the mouth and died instantly,” he said.

Mr Mwale said a Juvenile aged 13 managed to escape from the fire inside the house, but he sustained multiple burns on his body and is currently admitted in hospital.

“It was also discovered that the said suspect Jethro Makondo shot at three persons who had rushed to the burning house to rescue the fire victims. And those shot at have since been identified as Dorothy Ngandu aged 58 who sustained bullet wounds on her right shoulder and chest area, Ngandu Highes aged 44 who sustained gunshots wounds around the chest a Juvenile aged 13 all of Majata village who sustained gunshot wounds on the chest and abdomen area,” he said.

“Of the three gunshot victims female Dorothy Ngandu was pronounced dead upon arrival at Monze Mission Hospital, while the other two are battling for their lives at the same Hospital. Later the suspect went back to his house within the same community and shot himself through the mouth using his gun and died on the spot,”

“Police preliminary investigations indicate that Jethro Makondo was a husband to the deceased Lenipher Ngandu.Then on the November 3, 2022 Lenifer Ngandu ran away from their matrimonial home and went to her mother’s place ( Josephine Hanyakama) and never wanted to go back to the husband because of his behaviour. The husband on the November 22, 2022 around 01:00 hours followed the wife at her mother’s place,” he said.