By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa
Nkhotakota, May 2, Mana: Police in Nkhotakota have arrested one person in connection with the killing of two people suspected to be bloodsuckers.
Nkhotakota Police Public Relations Officer, Sub inspector, Williams Kaponda confirmed of the arrest and identified the suspect as Rich Guza, 34, of Chamba Village, Traditional Authority (TA) Malengachanzi in Nkhotakota.
He said the arrest was made on Wednesday and expressed hope that more would be netted, as investigations were ongoing.
On the night of April 19, 2020, two people, late Benedicto Jason Kantchere, 41, and Dickson Gwirize, 36, were brutally murdered by a mob who suspected them to be bloodsuckers.
The slain two, who were businessmen at Dwangwa trading centre had on the fateful night gone for a night of prayer on top of Sani Mountain before they were confronted by a mob, accusing them of being blood suckers.
It was reported that the mob torched the suspected bloodsucker’s car besides stoning them to death.
Apparently, the slain suspects had alerted a mobile phone Tower Guard about their mission on the mountain.
The arrest came a day after central region Acting Commissioner of Police, Evalister Chisale and other Senior Regional Police officers engaged leaders of various sectors in the district on the bloodsucking rumours making rounds in some parts of the central region.
She described the rumours as a lie and called upon the leaders who included traditional and religious leaders, Council Sector Heads, representatives of business people and members of parliament, among others to sensitize their subjects against taking the law into their hands.
In his National Address on April 7, 2020, President Peter Mutharika condemned the practice of killing people on bloodsucking allegations.
Mutharika further directed the Acting Inspector General of Police to arrest anyone connected to spreading of such rumours and involved in any form of political violence.
