DAR ES SALAAM, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian police said on Saturday they have arrested a female university student after she had claimed through social media that the east African nation has 230 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and four deaths.

Deborah Magiligimba, Shinyanga regional police commander, identified the suspect as 23-year-old Mariamu Jumanne Sanane, a third-year Kiswahili language student at the University of Dar es Salaam.

Magiligimba said Sanane was arrested on Friday night at the Mwadui diamond mining premises after cybercrime police had traced her with the phone she used in spreading the false information

"By inflating the number of COVID-19 cases through social media, the student could have caused panic to the general public," said Magiligimba.

By Friday afternoon, Tanzania had a total of 32 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with three deaths.

On Monday, police they were holding one man in Kilimanjaro region for allegedly spreading false information on the COVID-19 pandemic on social media.

The arrest of the university student brought to four the total number of people arrested in Tanzania for spreading false information on the viral disease.

On March 21, Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa warned people against issuing of misleading statements about the COVID-19 pandemic through social media saying the perpetrators will face the music. Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)