Robbers hit twice in Lilongwe

Armed robbers struck twice in the Lilongwe City outskirt areas of Nkhoma and Msundwe during the weekend, targetting a Chipiku shop and getting away with unspecified cash in the first attack, and stealing K3.2 million ($4 384) in the other attack.

Lilongwe Police Station spokesperson Kingsley Dandaula confirmed the robberies yesterday, but said his office was yet to receive substantive details concerning both incidents.

In an interview at Msundwe, some 20 kilometres from Lilongwe, on the Lilongwe-Mchinji Road, filling station supervisor Mtunkha Msiska said up to10 robbers descended on the filling station at around 1am on Saturday night, demanding keys to the safe.

“They tied up the guards and dumped them at the back of the filling store office. When the guards said the safe keys are kept at the owner’s house some 15 kilometres away, the robbers proceeded to break into the office, apparently using heavy metal implements, or cutters. They ransacked our drawers and broke the safe in which we kept the K3.2 million,” Msiska stated.

He said the workers at the filling station are traumatised by the incident.

The filling station owner, Milliward Nyangulu, said he has been attacked hardly a month after he opened shop after investing K300 million in modern structures, including a shop and an office complex, at his business premises.

Ironically, Nyangulu, who is a founder prophet of his Synagogue Pentecost at Waliranji Trading Centre along the Lilongwe-Mchinji Road, was calmly preaching a rousing sermon during a revival meeting in the synagogue.

“Yes, robbers attacked us. But vengeance is God’s. He is in charge and the robbers have courted trouble by their sinful action,” he declared calmly, permitting that his filling station supervisor be interviewed for the story.