Villagers smash Police car, injure officer

Irate villager s in Nkhotakota on Tuesday went on rampage, stoning and injuring a Police officer in the process.

The mob also smashed the window of his police vehicle after he and his colleagues had rescued a man suspected of killing his wife.

According to police, the victim, Sarah Nkhoma, 21, went missing last week and was found dead at Chisi fishing dock four days later with a leg and arm decapitated.

Nkhotakota Police spokesperson Kaitano Lubrino said the family was however, not satisfied with results of the postmortem conducted at the district hospital which found that death was due severe injuries by a crocodile attack resulted into excessive loss of blood.

Their disgruntlement reached boiling point on the day of Nkhoma’s burial when the family and community turned on the husband, Atusaye Mwangolera, 27, asking him to explain the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.

“They took him aside to discuss the matter where in the process they kidnapped him for revenge on suspicion that he killed her. During the burial ceremony, some undressed him and took him about 20km distance from Bua to Msenjere where they wanted to kill him,” Lubrino said.

Chiefs in the area noted the tense situation and reported the matter to Police who rushed to scene to rescue Mwangolera.

But villagers started stoning the Police who managed to rescue the husband and rushed him to Nkhotakota district hospital, but not before one officer suffered injury and had the rear window of their vehicle smashed.

However, no arrests have been made on the matter.