3 nabbed over Karonga albino child abduction
Police in Karonga have arrested three people in connection with the abduction of Eunice Nkhonjera ,an 18-month-old baby with albinism at Khwawa in Karonga over a week ago.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera confirmed the arrest in an interview, but could not provide particulars of the three suspects and other details.
The three are suspected to have broken into the victim’s house through the backdoor in the wee hours of January 22 2019 and the mother, Lonnes Nkhonjera, only discovered that her baby was missing when she woke up later in the morning.
The arrest follows the death of Donald Msafire, 61, one of the people was summoned by police in relation to the abduction. Msafire, who committed suicide last Sunday , came from Malongo Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Wasambo in Karonga.
According to group village head Malongo, the 61-year-old was allegedly restless upon returning from police and in the night, he was seen writing something but his relations thought he was reconciling sales for his business.
“After he left the house, he never returned prompting his relations to look for him. They found a note indicating where they would find him,” he said.
Malongo said the deceased was also found with a note distancing himself from the abduction of the child and urging the police to fight to trace the perpetrators.
A police source yesterday said the arrests started after some women during Msafire’s burial accused some people of being behind the abduction.
Last week, the Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (Apam) requested President Peter Mutharika to declare Malawi a dangerous place for persons with albinism and facilitate their asylum in other countries.
Speaking during a press conference that World Vision Malawi held in Lilongwe, Apam president Overstone Kondowe said asylum will be the last resort if their planned vigils at State residences in Lilongwe and Blantyre yield nothing.
“After all efforts have failed and government machinery has proved ineffective, we will hold vigils and if nothing comes out from that, we will have no choice but to ask to seek asylum in other countries,” he said.
During the launch of Chiwanja Cha Ayao in Balaka on January 6 2019, the President urged police to bring to book all perpetrators of killings of people with albinism, saying if found guilty they will “rot in jail”.
Last year, government launched a four-year National Action Plan on Persons With Albinism aimed at ending atrocities against persons with albinism, and improving their social welfare.
In the same year, a report by Amnesty International stated that the rate at which cases are concluded in Malawi is slow compared to other crime investigations. n
