Robbers hijack OPC vehicle, shoot one

Armed robbers on Tuesday high jacked  a vehicle belonging to the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) at gunpoint at Area 18A in the Capital Lilongwe and shot a person  who was shouting for help.

According to eye witness, the vehicle was being driven by Mike Kabango.

The robbers fired scaring shots in the air  twice before they systematically sped off with the driver  Kabango who was later slightly beaten up and dumped.

In  a telephone interview,  the wife of the driver, who happens to be the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) secretary at the party’s headquarters, confirmed about the incident but said her husband is back home alive.

“He is back home, most important thing is he is alive,” she said.

Lilongwe Police Publicist, Kingsley Dandaula confirmed that he has received a report on the carjacking.

He said the driver of OPC,  Kabango and unidentified person who was shot were being attended but doctors at Kamuzu Central Hospital.

Malawi has seen rise in criminal activities since  taking over of government by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in May this year.

Police have reported several armed robberies, murders and carjacking, creating fear and panic among Malawians.

Just recently armed robbers hit Katerele ADMARC Depot in the lakeshore District of  Salima and holed out a cash chest containing K504, 000.

The robbers were apprehended and one of them has since been given 12 years jail term.

Recently, `two women were seriously wounded after they were struck by stray bullets during gunfire between a robbery victim and the alleged robbers at Machinjiri Township in Blantyre.

A  government ambulance was also car-jacked in the eastern district of Balaka. And a medical worker was also killed in Lilongwe.

Malawi Police Inspector General Loti Dzonzi told local radio that although an effort is being made to curb crime, a challenge remains in urban areas.

“There are some areas in the country where we can confidently say things are at appropriate levels. But there are areas of the country where we have challenges, and we need to jack up, more particularly in the urban areas,” Dzonzi said.

He pointed out contributing factors to the rise in criminal activities in the urban areas.

“There is rapid rural-urban migration in this country. The number of the unemployed young people is also very high, with very few opportunities of employment or informal businesses. Our cities are one of the darkest in Africa at night,” Dzonzi said.

In the 2014-2015 national budget, the government has more than doubled its allocation to the country’s law enforcement agencies, including local police, to help curb criminal activities.

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