#machinga

By: Chikondi Magalasi

Police in Machinga district have nabbed six people for offences of house breaking and theft contrary to sections 309 and 278 of the penal code respectively.

Arrested for Breaking and entry as well as theft

The Suspects have been identified as Pilirani Phiri, 18, Alisen Sabiti,46, Victor Aufi,18, Lenzo Dickson,19, Bashil Samson,22, and Samson Batumeyo,23.

Confirming the incident to The Malawi Star, Machinga Police Public Relations Officer Davie Sulumba said it is believed that the Suspects committed the offence on 14th April.

“On the14th April 2016, Mrs Jean Chikoko reported that unknown criminals broke into her house and stole various items valued at Mk0.4 million,” said Sulumba.

The Spokesperson further revealed that the items these suspects went away with are a Samsung Plasma TV Screen, Three decoders, Laptop, Laptop bag, DVD player, two electonic irons, dongle and Hisence subwoofer.

He said the Suspects were arrested after investigations conducted by the Police recovered some of the stolen items that were found with these six accused people.

The recovered items are as follows; DSTV decoder, two electronic irons, two Laptop bags, two invertors, DVD Player, Sony TV screen and one solar panel.

According to Sulumba, Police are still investigating the other remaining suspected stolen items.

Samson Batumeyo hails from Katapila Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Amidu, Bashil Samson comes from Nsamati Village, T/A Nsamala, Victor Aufi comes from Ng’ombe Village T/A Nsamala while Lenzo Dickson hails from Nsamati Village T/A Nsamala, Pilirani Phiri comes from Ng’ombe Village, T/A Nsamala and Aliseni Sabiti hails from Chasuchira Village, T/A Nsamala and these Suspects from Balaka district.

By: Chikondi Magalasi

An 18-year-old boy and a Woman have been arrested in Machinga district for Trespassing and Tempering with a Graveyard contrary to section 129 of the penal code.

Exhumed Human Bones Believed to Bring Good Luck?

Police have identified the two as Fainosi Walusa,18, and an adult woman who is only known as Sime Daimani.

Confirming the arrest to The Malawi Star, Machinga Police Public Relations Officer Davie Sulumba, said the first Suspect originates from Mozambique and He is married at Mukhito Village.

He said his Wife was suspecting his movements after he returned home late one night and it was something that prompted her to summon him for questioning.

“On 7th April 2016, the first suspect returned home late, his wife was suspicious of his movement and she asked her husband who revealed that he went to Nyandule Graveyard with the other Suspect where they exhumed the grave,” said Sulumba.

The Spokesperson further said that the exhumed grave was of Mrs Chiuja Kenneth who died in 2006 after committing suicide by taking a poison.

Sulumba further told this publication that the Teenager revealed to his wife that Sime Daimani who is a sister to the deceased was the one who led them to the grave where the deceased was buried where they exhumed the grave and removed arm and leg bones of the deceased.

The Law enforcers’ Publicist disclosed that currently about three suspects are on the run and Police are doing everything possible to trace them.

“Both Suspects are in our Custody pending Court proceedings and three others are at large and we are looking for them in order to get them arrested too,” explained Sulumba.

Recently, cases of such kind have been rampant in this country but mostly such criminals exhume people with Albinism and they remove bones that are said to be used for rituals.

Fainosi Walusa hails from Mukhito Village, Traditional Authority Ngokwe and Sime Daimani comes from Nyaudule Village, Traditional Authourity Ngokwe, both in the district.

By: Chikondi Magalasi

Malawi Police in Machinga district have nabbed a 36-year-old man in suspicious that he killed a nine-year-old boy who was abducted and his head was found three weeks after his missing.

Police: On a sweeping exercise

Police have identified the suspect as Justine Masitala from Chokani Village, Traditional Authority Nkoola in the district.

According to Machinga Police Public Relations Officer Constable Davie Sulumba,last year the suspect was also convicted and fined MK20,000.00 for an offence of being Found in possession of  suspected Albino bones.

He confirmed of the sweeping exercise that the police had in the district.

“We would like to confirm that we had a sweeping exercise on 4th April 2016 in our community policing areas which resulted into the arrest of ten suspects where two were nabbed for the offence of murder”.

Lyson Jeke, 24, of Wandi Kanga Village, T/A Chowe in Mangochi and three others were arrested for House breaking and theft.

A 40-year-old Andile Lax Ndile who hails from Nsisi Village, Traditional Authority Chikweo in the district has been arrested for an offence of operating a clinic without a Licence.

Another man,  a 34-year-old Elias Wadi of Nkolingo Village, Traditional Authority Chikweo in Machinga for operating a bar without a licence.

A 24 year old Kampala Shaibu of Issa Village,Traditional Authority Nkoola in the same district was also arrested  for being found in possession of Cannabis sativa without a licence.

Lastly, the Police are keeping in custody a woman identified as Patuma Asima of Mitawa Village in area of Traditional Authority Bwana Nyambi in Mangochi district for an offence of unauthorised use of property.

Police in the district have said that these sweeping exercises are conducted with the aim of strengthening security in the district and they have vowed to continue.

By: Chikondi Magalasi

There has been a decrease of kidnapping and sometimes killing of people with albinism in Machinga district as compared to the 2015 status quo.

under strict protection (photo file)

According to Machinga Police Station Public Relations Officer Constable Davie Sulumba, the cases have gone down by 25 percent.

‘’Our statistics at Machinga Police show that we registered four cases of abduction and killing of people with albinism by March, 2015.This year by  march we have registered three cases which represent 25% decrease,’’ said Sulumba.

Meantime, concerned authorities in Machinga district are conducting the awareness campaign on Child Protection more especially those with living with Albinism in six Traditional Authorities in the district.

The aim of these meetings is to reduce cases of abduction, killing of albinos and tempering of people with albinism graveyards with the aim of getting bones of corpses.

What prompted to have these meetings is the recent incident in which unknown criminals broke into  a house and abducted a nine year old boy in the area of Traditional Authority Chikweo in the district.

The boy’s head was later discovered in a decomposed state under the bridge three weeks after his missing.

The campaign has been organised by the District Commissioner of the Mangochi, R.K. Chavula, Officer In Charge of Mangochi Police, I.A.F Maluwa and Henry Machemba , a World Vision Officer in the district.

Graphic Image: 9 Years Old Boy Butchered By ‘Albino Hunters’ In Malawi

Criminal gangs nicknamed “albino hunters” and armed with machetes, knives and axes are striking fear into people living with albinism in Malawi, abducting and often killing their victims in broad daylight and in the dead of night.

This has made the police in the country to declare a shoot-to-kill policy on the group.

The latest victim of the brutal attacks is a nine-year old boy with albinism…