Former Tanzanian ambassador and outspoken critic of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Humphrey Polepole, was reportedly abducted from his Dar es Salaam home on Monday by unknown assailants.
The incident, reports say, occurred in the wee hours of Monday, with Polepole's brother, Geoffrey, telling the BBC that they had discovered a broken door, severed electric wires and blood at the scene, suggesting a possible abduction.
Polepole resigned as Tanzania's ambassador to Cuba in July, citing concerns about the country's direction under Hassan. Since leaving office, he has consistently criticised the government on social media, highlighting high-level corruption, abductions and calling for electoral reforms, while questioning Hassan's leadership.
He has also demanded that Hassan be removed from the ballot and that the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party nominate another candidate.
In a statement on X, Tanzania police noted that they launched an investigation into Polepole's alleged abduction after he failed to respond to a summons from the Office of the Director of Criminal Investigations.
"Polepole was sent a summons letter in accordance with the laws of the country to report to the Office of the Director of Criminal Investigation to provide information regarding various allegations he made through social media, but to date, he has not implemented those instructions in accordance with the law," the statement, issued in Swahili, roughly translates.
The statement added that the police were aware of reports circulating on social media from his relatives claiming he had been kidnapped and that authorities had already begun working to verify the information.
The development comes amid a tense political atmosphere ahead of the country's October 29 vote.
Observers, including the Human Rights Watch (HRW), have reported increasing repression of opposition parties, curbs on media freedom and limited independence of the electoral commission, raising questions about the fairness of the upcoming vote.
CCM is widely expected to retain power, while opposition leader Tundu Lissu remains in detention on treason charges.
His Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) party has been barred from contesting after refusing to sign an electoral code of conduct - developments analysts say have tilted the race heavily in favour of President Samia, who is seeking another term.
After succeeding the late John Magufuli in 2021, President Samia was initially praised for expanding political freedoms in Tanzania.
However, she has since faced mounting criticism for tightening control, including cracking down on opposition parties.