Malawi police said they rescued British national Nusrat Osman, 47, on Thursday in an operation in the southern city of Blantyre in which suspected kidnappers were shot and later died. According to the Malawi Police Service, Osman was abducted on 11 September in Blantyre's Mount Pleasant area by four unidentified men. Police said the rescue involved an exchange of fire with kidnappers armed with an AK-47 rifle and a pistol, that the kidnappers were shot and later died in hospital, and that a senior police officer wounded in the operation was in a stable condition in hospital. Investigations are continuing, and police say the motive is not known.
Malawi police rescue kidnapped British woman; four suspected abductors die
Malawi police said they rescued British national Nusrat Osman, 47, on Thursday in an operation in the southern city of Blantyre in which suspected kidnappers were shot and later died. According to the Malawi Police Service, Osman was abducted on 11 September in Blantyre's Mount Pleasant area by four unidentified men. Police said the rescue involved an exchange of fire with kidnappers armed with an AK-47 rifle and a pistol, that the kidnappers were shot and later died in hospital, and that a senior police officer wounded in the operation was in a stable condition in hospital. Investigations are continuing, and police say the motive is not known.
The Malawi Police Service said in a statement dated 17 September that the rescue was an intelligence-led operation and that Osman had been reunited with her family. BBC News reported that she was freed on Thursday during an operation on the outskirts of Blantyre and was also taken to hospital for treatment and for physical and mental health assessments, citing local media. Police said she had been driving home when the men blocked her vehicle, forced her into another car and drove away.
BBC News named the wounded officer as Deputy Inspector General of Police Noel Kayira, who it said was involved in the operation and sustained gunshot injuries. The police statement said he was in a stable condition.
According to BBC News, the disappearance prompted a major search operation and authorities offered a reward of 30 million Malawian kwacha ($17,000; £12,500) for information leading to Osman's rescue and the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The BBC reported that the case had puzzled investigators because police said there had been no known ransom demand or communication from the kidnappers after she disappeared, and that police have not disclosed whether they believe other people were involved.
BBC News reported that Osman is from Leicester in the UK, has lived in Malawi for several years and works for an auditing firm, and is married with two young children. It said her family had made public appeals for her safe return, and that the kidnapping caused concern among Malawi's business community and British nationals in the country, where abductions of foreign nationals are relatively uncommon.
Police inspector general Richard Luhanga said Osman was "still traumatised" and told AFP news agency that police would interview her when she is "settled properly", adding that the motive was still not known and investigations were ongoing, according to BBC News. Authorities have urged the public to remain calm while the investigation continues.
The UK Foreign Office earlier told the BBC it was aware of reports that a British national had been abducted in Malawi and was in touch with local authorities.
Where sources differ
- The Straits Times reports that 'the kidnappers' were shot and later died without giving a number; BBC News reports that four suspected kidnappers were killed.
- The Straits Times attributes the account to a Malawi Police Service statement dated 17 September; BBC News quotes the police statement but does not give its date.
- The Straits Times refers only to a wounded 'senior police officer' without naming him; BBC News names him as Deputy Inspector General of Police Noel Kayira.
- The Straits Times says Osman was reunited with her family after the rescue; BBC News adds, citing local media, that she was also taken to hospital for treatment and for physical and mental health assessments.
- Details reported only by BBC News, such as the 30 million Malawian kwacha reward, the absence of a known ransom demand, Osman's UK home city and employment, and her brother's comments, do not appear in The Straits Times report.
- The motive for the kidnapping is not established; police say it is unknown and investigations are ongoing.
- The four suspected kidnappers who died have not been identified by police, and no account or rationale from them or their representatives appears in either source.
- How officers located the group, and whether police believe anyone else was involved, have not been disclosed.
- Neither source contains a direct account from Nusrat Osman herself about the abduction or the rescue.
- It is not established in the sources whether a ransom was ever demanded or any communication received from the kidnappers.
- The exact date and time of the rescue operation is given only as 'Thursday', and the sources do not state it precisely.
- No information is provided on the condition of the abductors prior to their deaths beyond police saying they were shot and taken to hospital.
- The Straits Times — original — by The Straits Times
- BBC News — by Wycliffe Muia
Read the original at The Straits Times