By Synd Kalimbuka
The Commissioner of Police responsible for Eastern Region Arlene Baluwa has called upon the public to desist from vandalizing police property and from taking the law into their hands.
Baluwa made the call yesterday at Chilipa in Mangochi district when she met Traditional leaders and Community Policing members following the fracas that left Chilipa Police Unit vandalized.
She said what people of Chilipa did by damaging Chilipa Police Unit after the officers rescued a person from mob justice is uncalled for and unlawful.
She added that the duty of Police Officers is to protect life and property and what Chilipa Police Officers did was right, lawful, commendable and did not deserve the attack.
“Police cannot just stand and watch a person being killed, it’s our duty to intervene in such situations for protection,” said Baluwa.
She therefore condemned the act and assured people that Police will investigate the matter and all those involved will face the law so that it should be a lesson to would be offenders.
According to Senior Chief Chilipa, the victim Bongo Saidi Nanumbwa aged 48 lost his wife and wanted to take custody of his children a thing that did not please the other party as they were accusing him of bewitching his late wife.
The matter was then taken to Village Headman Bwanado 2 and was supposed to be settled on Sunday October 19, 2020.
In the course of settling the matter, things went out of hand and the public pounced on the victim.
Following this, Police were called in and managed to rescue the victim and locked him up at Chilipa Police Unit for safety.
This did not please the public who regrouped and invaded the Police unit, vandalized the office and set ablaze the waiting shelter before taking the victim out of the cell to deal with him.
The victim was rescued again though he was badly stoned.
Meanwhile, Senior Chief Chilipa has condemned the act and assured the Police that the office will be renovated as the area cannot be left without security in the area.
The victim is currently admitted at Chilipa Healthy Centre and Police have opened two cases of unlawfully wounding and malicious damage
