Irate community members have vandalised Chilipa Police Unit in Mangochi and injured one officer in a fracas that ensued during a protest over the handling of a case of a 14-year-old boy.
Police have since arrested eight family members in connection with the fracas that led to the vandalism and injuring of a police officer.
The boy, Alli Nuru, was reported missing by his mother, Amina Alidi, earlier last month, but on August 24 2026, the suspects allegedly vandalised structures at the unit, including the court building and injured a police officer following a disagreement over the handling of the case.
“Following the disagreement over the handling of the case, the suspects are alleged to have vandalised structures at the police unit,” said Daudi.
Ironically, in a dramatic turn of events, Alli was found alive in Balaka Township on August 29 2026 where he was doing piecework without his mother’s knowledge.
Police traced and arrested the eight suspects on September 2 2026 after they were on the run for several days, while a manhunt for the remaining suspects continues.
Daudi said the eight face the charge of malicious damage and unlawful wounding and are expected to appear in court upon completion of paperwork.
In recent years, vandalism of public infrastructure has been on the rise with road sign posts, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) Limited infrastructure and other facilities continuously falling victim.
Escom is on record as having said that vandalism is costing the power utility about K3 billion annually to replace.
Between October 2025 and March this year, Escom said it recorded 138 cases that left 40 transformers and other equipment such as copper cables and coils, high-voltage cable lines, wooden poles, bolts and tower members vandalised.
From the health perspective, Malawi Health Equity Network executive director George Jobe earlier lamented vandalism, saying that the cost of replacing a single transformer represents resources that could support medicines, medical equipment and health personnel in underserved facilities.
Schools, both private and public, have also fallen victim to vandalism as angry students have torched facilities while other vandals have resorted to loot in laboratories and classrooms, including stealing taps and electrical fittings.
In 2023, angry residents vandalised Area 25 Community Hospital following a misunderstanding with hospital management.
