By Burnett Munthali
BLANTYRE — (MaraviPost) — British national Nusrat Jiwa Osman, 47, has been found safe after being abducted in broad daylight in the Mount Pleasant area of Blantyre, bringing an end to a six-day search that prompted a major police operation and a K30 million reward for information leading to her rescue.
Local media reports say Osman has returned home and that the Malawi Police Service has confirmed her safe recovery. Her brother, Shoba Jiwa, also disclosed that Deputy Inspector General of Police Noel Mlowoka Kayira was shot during the operation to rescue her but survived and was out of danger. The exact location of the rescue and circumstances surrounding the reported shooting have not yet been publicly disclosed.
Osman’s family expressed gratitude to Kayira and other police officers involved in the operation. Jiwa described the deputy inspector general’s reported actions as a major contribution to bringing his sister home safely.
However, several critical details remain unclear. Authorities have not publicly identified the location where Osman was found, explained how police located her or disclosed whether any of the alleged abductors have been arrested.
Osman was abducted at about 12:30 p.m. on Friday, September 11, after reportedly dropping her two children at school. Police said four men were involved and that they used a grey Nissan Dualis with registration number CA 6956.
The incident triggered an intensive investigation after Osman disappeared without any immediate contact from her alleged captors. Her husband, Nazil Osman, had previously said he did not know who had taken his wife or why she had been targeted. No motive for the abduction has been publicly established.
The Malawi Police Service offered K30 million for credible information directly leading to Osman’s successful rescue and the arrest, prosecution and conviction of those responsible. Police also urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information that could interfere with the investigation.
The reported involvement of Deputy Inspector General Kayira has added another dimension to the case. According to Osman’s brother, Kayira was shot during the rescue operation. Local reporting has not yet established where the incident occurred, how serious his injuries were or whether the shooting involved an armed confrontation with the alleged abductors.
The Malawi Police Service’s public website currently identifies Noel Mlowoka Kayira as Deputy Inspector General responsible for administration, but it does not yet contain a detailed public account of the Osman rescue operation.
Osman’s safe return nevertheless marks a major development in a case that attracted national and international attention. British media had reported her disappearance after Malawi police issued the public appeal for information, while the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed that it was in contact with local authorities over the case.
Investigators are now expected to establish who organised the abduction, why Osman was targeted, where she was held and whether anyone will face criminal charges.
For now, the rescue answers the most urgent question—Osman is alive and safely back home—but the circumstances surrounding her abduction and rescue remain the subject of an ongoing investigation.
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