Malawi Police justifies airport sealing after ‘bomb’ scare
Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) police have justified the temporary closure and subsquent evacuation of all vehicles at the airport on December 26 after a hand grenade scare.
Maziko Radio on Sunday quoted the airport’s police spokesperson as saying the law enforcers would not leave anything to chance as security of airports is the police priority.
All people and vehicles were swiftly evacuated and road to the airport was closed after police discovered something that looked like a hand grenade in a flower bed at the airport.
It turned out that it was a toy.
The police said some boys were carrying the toy and wanted to enter the airport building with it when a police officer advised the toddlers to leave it outside the building.
The boys then dropped it in the flower bed in the understanding that they would take it on their way back from the building.
However some patrol law enforcers found it on the flower bed and raised the alarm which led to the evacuation exercise.
Inspector general of police Lexon Kachama recently said the police were drilled extensively on how to fight terrorism and would respond swiftly and professionally should there be a terrorism attack in Malawi.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
POLICE MUST BE COMMENDED FOR THE EVACUATION INCASE IT WAS A REAL BOMB. HOWEVER THE FIRST OFFICER WHO IDENTIFIED THE BOMB TOY MUST BE REBUKED FOR NOT TAKING APPROPRIATE ACTION OF KEEPING THE TOY IN HIS CUSTODAY AND WARNING THE PARENTS FOR THEIR FOOLISHNESS IN BUYING THEIR KID SOMETHING THAT IS VERY THREATENING. MALAWI SHOULD STOP TAKING THE PEACE AND SECURITY FOR GRANTED.
Airport is a very sensitive area. If there was any slight suspicion then best course of action was what the police did. That said the toy should have been confiscated by the first officers who did not want the boys to enter the airport with it – to be given back later to the boys. But then again, why do we even have that waving bay thing (I am assuming that is where the boys were going) I find it a waste of the already small airport space that we have.
And this is the police that is ready for a terrorrists attack?…. What a joke
Bravo Police!!!!!!
Hahah!
He ha ha what a joke. Our trained police could not diffranciate between a toy and a real bomb. They are just a waste of time and money.
lol, the “well drilled” idiot cop told the kids to put the damn toy in a flower bed instead of confiscating it. anyone normal person who saw the thing would have been spooked as hell, and that’s exactly what happened. i’ve heard of slow thinking but this is a bit much.
Why did the “well-drilled” officers not deal with the problem the first instance the grenade was discoverd. It is well known that such þoys are not welcome at the airport and if anything the culprits were supposed to be arrested on spot. Its our police who are a threat to national security
Why advise the boys to throw away the toy grenade instead of just confiscating it? Is the police officer who did this still on his job? No wonder our airports are deemed unsafe because of laxity by those who are supposed to make them safe.
Yes a toy makes the police close the airport. That shows lack of knowledge and panic