Tanzanian billionaire Mohammed Dewji, who was kidnapped earlier this month, on Saturday morning announced that he has been released and had returned home safely. Dewji was released 10 days after he was seized by armed men in the city of Dar Es Salaam.

The 43-year-old CEO of the METL Group family conglomerate, was seized as he arrived for a morning workout in Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam last week. Forbes estimates his net worth as $1.5 billion, making him Africa’s 17th richest man and its youngest billionaire.

“I thank Allah that I have returned home safely. I thank all my fellow Tanzanians, and everyone around the world for their prayers. I thank the authorities of Tanzania, including the Police Force for working for my safe return.”
— Mohammed Dewji
(3:15AM, Dar es Salaam)

— MeTL Group (@MeTL_Group) October 20, 2018

“I thank Allah that I have returned home safely. I thank all my fellow Tanzanians, and everyone around the world for their prayers,” he said in a tweet from his company METL Group’s account.

The businessman, known locally as Mo, thanked Tanzania’s police “and everyone around the world for their prayers”.

“I thank the authorities of Tanzania, including the Police Force for working for my safe return,” he added.

While his father Gullam Dewji confirmed his release in comments to the Tanzanian daily Mwanachi, his uncle, Azim Dewji also said the kidnappers had released him early Saturday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s economic capital.

The family had offered a reward of half a million dollars (435,000 euros) for information that would help police find him.

Tanzanian police said Friday they had identified the driver of a vehicle used in the kidnapping and were making progress in their investigation.

Africa’s youngest billionaire was kidnapped on October 11 by gunmen — said to have been white — as he entered the gym of a hotel in Dar es Salaam.

Mohammed Dewji, 43, heads the MeTL Group which operates in about 10 countries with interests in agriculture to insurance, transport, logistics and the food industry.

Dar es Salaam police chief Lazaro Mambosasa told journalists that the assailants had “shot into the air” before bustling Dewji into their car.

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