Karonga child abductors get 2 years jail term

Karonga First Grade Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday jailed Violet Nyasulu and Fishani Nkhwazi, both aged 20, for 24 months for abducting a child in the district.

State prosecutor Grace Moja Phiri told the court that on October 31 2023, the duo agreed to kidnap the victim at a nursery school after Nyasulu gave Nkhwazi K100 000 as payment to get the victim as a replacement for a child he and her husband allegedly lost.

But when the victim’s father brought her food later, he was informed by school authorities that she had been picked up by the convicts in the morning hours.

The father immediately alerted Nyungwe Police Unit which which mounted a search leading to the arrest of the duo at Enukweni in Mzimba District.

During court appearance, the two pleaded not guilty, but the State paraded four witnesses and proved the case.

In mitigation, Nyasulu said she has a six-month-old child with disability while Nkhwazi said he was a bread for his family. However, Moja Phiri asked for stiff punishment because human trafficking is a serious offence and attracts a maximum sentence of seven years.

Passing sentence, first grade magistrate Julius Kalambo concurred with the State, saying such offences are rampant in the country.

He said: “The two of you connived to steal the child with evil intent which is a violation of children’s rights to stay with their biological parents contrary to Section 23 of the Constitution.”

Nyasulu comes from Kambuwa Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mtwalo in Mzimba while Nkhwazi comes from Chokakara Village in T/A Mwirang’ombe in Karonga District