Another albino abducted

Three weeks after the merciless killing of Yasin Phiri, a man with albinism in Nkhata Bay, unknown thugs yesterday morning abducted an 18-month-old baby with albinism at Khwawa in Karonga.

Similar to Phiri’s attack, which occurred in his house in the night, the thugs in Karonga abducted the little girl, Eunice, while she slept with her mother Lonness Nkhonjera, 28.

They are suspected to have broken into Nkhonjera’s house through the backdoor to the  bedroom in the wee hours of yesterday and the mother only discovered when she woke up later in the morning.

The incident has angered human rights bodies, which have since said Capital Hill’s continued podium rants are doing nothing to protect persons with albinism.

We were not able to speak to the mother or any of her relatives yesterday as they had been taken to Chitimba Police Post for interview, but village head Malongo, under Traditional Authority (T/A) Wasambo, said everyone was shocked by the incident and they remain terrified.

Malongo, from Lulanga area which lies between Lwezga and Khwawa in Karonga South, said Eunice and her mother went to bed around 8pm on Monday but the mother was shocked to discover that the child was not on the bed around 4am on Tuesday.

“There were three people in the house. The child, her mother and another elderly woman. The child and the mother were sleeping in one room and the other woman slept in a different room. It was around 4 am when the mother left the bed to visit the toilet, but on return she did not find the baby,” he explained.

It was in the course of searching for the child in other parts of the house that the mother noticed that the backdoor was broken.

The village head added that he and other people in the village tried searching for the child in vain.

Said Malongo: “Everyone is confused with what has happened. The mother and relations are in deep pain.  Police came to assess the situation and have started investigations.

He said they will continue searching as they wait for police investigations.

“Why would anyone abduct such a little innocent child? We are more worried now with what they have done to her, we don’t know,” said Malongo.

In a separate interview, T/A Wasambo said the abduction has left people in his area terrified.

The chief said he has since summoned his village heads to a meeting to advise them not to entertain strangers in their areas, as a protective measure to people with albinism.

“There is no way a stranger would know that a particular house has a person with albinism. These people connive with our community members who give the victims away. We must ensure that we don’t entertain strangers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malawi Police Service deputy spokesperson Thomeck Nyaude could not comment on the matter, saying “I don’t have details”.

On his part, Minister of Homeland Security Nicholas Dausi was at a loss for words when contacted on  the matter, describing the issue as sickening and inexplicable.

He said he could only provide a detailed statement when police conclude their investigations.

During the launch of Chiwanja Cha Ayao in Balaka on January 6 2019, President Peter Mutharika looked angry and concerned with the continued abductions and killings of people with albinism.

The President, making reference to Phiri’s murder which occurred on New Year’s Eve, said he had been assured by MPS Inspector General Rodney Jose that perpetrators of Phiri’s brutal murder will be brought to book.

“How many have been rich in such a way? There will be stiff penalties from now on, life sentences,” he charged!

So far, police have arrested seven people in connection with Phiri’s murder.

Association of People with Albinism (Apam) chairperson Overstone Kondowe yesterday said he could not grant any interviews because he was in a meeting, but he earlier described Mutharika’s remarks on Phiri’s killing as “recycled assurances”.

“Persons with albinism are tired of listening to empty promises that there is security in the country whose evidence is not justified,” he said.

Human Rights Defenders  Coalition deputy chairperson Gift Trapence yesterday described the situation as a crisis and urged the President to commit to ending it.

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 states that the rate at which cases are concluded in Malawi is slow compared to other crime investigations.