Two jailed 20 years each for abducting an albino

Zomba Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court last week sentenced two men to 20 years imprisonment each for abducting a man with albinism with intent to murder.

The two—Francis Dick, 23, and John Kapale, 35,—committed the offence on October 13 2017 when they abducted the victim from Zomba District and took him to Machinga District.

Eastern Region Police prosecution officer Dickens Mwambazi said the two approached a certain businessperson at Ntaja Trading Centre in Machinga and offered to sell him a person with albinism at K20 million.

He said the businessperson reported the matter to Ntaja Police Unit where he was advised to accept the offer and bring the person alive.

Mwambazi said the two went to Chiunda Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chikowi in Zomba where they abducted the victim, Islaji M’balaka, 24, after tricking him that a certain businessperson wanted to employ him.

Police arrested the two upon arrival with M’balaka at the selling point in Machinga.

Passing the sentence, magistrate Texious Masoamphambe said what the two did was inhuman; hence, deserve a stiffer punishment.