There was a huge investigation after Mohammed Dewji was kidnapped in October 2018. Photo / Instagram
There was a huge investigation after Mohammed Dewji was kidnapped in October 2018. Photo / Instagram
A Tanzanian billionaire who was violently abducted and held hostage for 10 torturous days has spoken publicly for the first time since his lucky escape.
Just over a year ago, in October 2018, Mohammed "Mo" Dewji was kidnapped by armed men outside the luxury Coliseum Hotel in Tanzania's capital, Dares Salaam, where he was headed for an early-morning work out.
With an estimated net worth of $US1.9 billion (NZ$2.95 billion), Mr Dewji's disappearance sparked a massive manhunt and made headlines across the globe, reports News.com.au.
Mr Dewji, Africa's youngest billionaire, is a former politician who made his fortune through Mohammed Enterprises Tanzania Limited (MeTL), a commodities trading business founded by his father.
The company offered a reward of 1 billion Tanzanian shillings (NZ$675,000) for his safe return at the time โ but after 10 days of silence, Mr Dewji was mysteriously released, with MeTL confirming he had "returned home safely" in a tweet.
Since then, details of the bizarre incident have been kept under wraps.
But Mr Dewji has just spoken publicly about the attack for the first time in an emotional interview with the BBC.
TYCOON SPEAKS
The father of three told reporter Audrey Brown the ordeal was so horrifying he pleaded with his kidnappers to take his life while blindfolded and disoriented.
"I was blindfolded and there were times they kept on threatening me with guns to my head and five days, six days into it I was thinking I was losing my eye sight," Mr Dewji said.
"[The kidnapper] was like 'I'm going to shoot you' and I was like 'you can shoot me and kill me', because I was losing it.
Financial magazine Forbes says Mohammed Dewji is worth $1.97 billion. Photo / Twitter
"You get disoriented, you're tired, because it's a form of torture."
He also recalled hearing helicopters nearby, adding to his anxiety.
"I kept hearing these chopper noises and thinking that maybe this chopper's looking for me," he said.
RANSOM MYSTERY
While MeTL offered a high-profile reward for Mr Dewji's return, he insisted a ransom was never paid.
Despite that, he claimed he was abruptly dumped in a field after 10 days, and left just minutes away from the location where he was originally abducted.
More than a year on from the attack, both Mr Dewji and authorities still don't know why he was targeted.
"I still don't know why it happened," he told the BBC.
"Obviously the intention looked like it was money that they wanted. In the end they left me without the money."
Police originally detained dozens of suspects, although most were released. Today, Tanzanian cab driver, Mousa Twaleb, is awaiting trial and is the only suspect facing charges relating to the kidnapping.
However, Mr Dewji believes several other men from nearby African nations were involved, although he is convinced they've already skipped the country.
He told Ms Brown the terrifying abduction had inspired him to make changes in his life, including a renewed focus on giving back to others and on his family.
TRAUMA CONTINUES
Mr Dewji said his life had changed significantly since the abduction and that he was now far more conscious of safety and security.
"I am very careful of where I go now. I used to run on the beaches in Dar es Salaam and I never used to have any security," he said.
