Malawi News Agency, Salima — A group of armed robbers on Sunday night ransacked Msalura CCAP and Mpatsa CCAP Churches in Salima and went away with undisclosed amount of cash and other valuables, Salima Police have confirmed.
The ambush comes barely a few days after some thugs still at large terrorised a number of businesses, including Salima District Council Lodge where they beat up guests and run away with cash and other valuables.
The raids have sent fear amongst ordinary people and business people in the district who are demanding police to do something to stop the thugs, who are now attacking people freely.
In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana) on Monday, Salima Police Publicist, Gift Chitowe, said the real amount of property and cash which the thugs went away with from the ambush of the two prayer houses is not know as he is yet to get a full report.
Chitowe also said police are suspecting that the thugs that attacked the church are the ones who have been targeting lodges and other business premises in the district.
“As of now we don’t know the amount of money which has been stolen from the churches as the reverend is yet to give us the exact detail of the property which has gone missing after the attack,” said Chitowe.
Chitowe admitted that the police have not arrested anybody in connection with any of the recent attacks.
He said his office is failing to respond to the situation because of mobility problems as the office has only one vehicle.
“Yes I know that the robberies have brought fear among people here, but we are doing everything possible to apprehend the thugs, but our only challenge is mobility problems, we have only one vehicle so we are failing to respond timely when we are called,” said Chitowe.
A concerned citizen who did not want to be named told Mana that he is concerned with lack of progress in arresting the thugs who are resurfacing at intervals of two months after each robbery spree.
‘The police are not helping us, these thugs came three months ago, they robbed and terrorised us for two weeks and went away without police arresting any of them, now they have come again and making their attacks in a similar fashion like last time and police are failing to catch one of them,” said the concerned citizen.
