Harare magistrate Ignatius Mhene has handed down a combined jail term of 156 years to the notorious armed robber Musa Taj Abdul and his accomplices, Charles Lundu and Sean Dlamini, for their involvement in 13 armed robberies committed years ago.

The trio had been on the run for two decades until their capture in 2020. Magistrate Mhene, on Friday, sentenced each of them to 52 years in prison, with a portion of the sentence suspended. This leaves them with an effective term of 38 years.

The sentencing included 10 years for the first count and seven years for each subsequent count. Magistrate Mhene emphasized the need to send a clear message to society that armed robbery will not be tolerated in Zimbabwe.

Musa Taj Abdul has been accused by the police of orchestrating various criminal activities, reminiscent of the high-profile Chidhumo-Masendeke robberies that captivated the nation in the 1990s.

One of the recent convictions involved an incident on July 24, 2020, where the trio, armed with a shotgun, pistols, hammer, and iron bar, targeted a residence in Queensdale, Harare. Prosecuting attorney Kelvin Munyimi presented evidence that they demanded cash and stole valuable items from the victim, Lyle Leonard Wilson.

The group was found guilty of attacking multiple victims and making off with substantial loot worth thousands of dollars.