A 15-year-old Form One student at Kizimbani Secondary School in Kaskazini Pemba Region, Zanzibar, Raiyan Hemed Amour, has been found dead in a bush with his right palm allegedly chopped off with a sharp object.
The deceased, who lived in Kwale Mpona village in Wete District, Pemba, was reportedly killed after leaving home for school on October 2, 2026.
According to a statement issued by the Kaskazini Pemba Regional Police Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police William Mwampagale, the student’s body was discovered in a bush bearing a severe injury in which the palm of his right hand had been cut off.
The Commander said that on the day of the incident, at around noon, Raiyan left his home in Kwale Mpona village to attend school.
“However, the student did not return home as expected, causing his parents to become worried and start searching for him,” he said.
According to the police, after Raiyan failed to return home, his biological father reported him missing at Wete Police Station at around 3:20 p.m.
The police subsequently opened an investigation file and launched efforts to trace the missing student.
Giving further details, Commander Mwampagale said that during the search, Raiyan’s body was discovered in a bush, where he had already died, with his right palm having been severed with a sharp object.
The shocking incident has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the student’s death, particularly after he left home on his way to school.
However, the Police Force has not identified any suspect or established the motive behind the killing, stressing that investigations are still underway.
Following the discovery of the body, a post-mortem examination was conducted at Wete District Hospital in Kinyasini, Wete District.
After completion of the examination, the body was handed over to Raiyan’s relatives for burial arrangements.
The Police Force has continued with investigations aimed at establishing the circumstances surrounding the killing and identifying and apprehending those responsible.
Commander Mwampagale urged members of the public to report criminal incidents to the police rather than taking the law into their own hands.
He further cautioned the public against interfering with the legal process, urging them to allow the Police Force to conduct investigations, identify and arrest suspects and subsequently bring them before the court in accordance with the law.
As of now, the Police Force has not named anyone as a suspect in connection with the killing, while investigations continue.