MDF Officer murder suspect arrested in Dowa

Police in Dowa have arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with the murder of a Malawi Defence Force (MDF) officer who was stabbed to death during a suspected house break-in earlier this week.

According to Dowa Police Public Relations Officer Sub Inspector Alice Sitima, the suspect, Pemphero Puleti of Lufeyo Village in Traditional Authority (TA) Chiwere, was apprehended on July 18 by officers from Mvera Police Post following a successful investigation.

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Puleti, according to Sitima, is accused of killing 30-year-old Chiswansangu Nyirongo, a soldier stationed at Mvera Support Battalion, who died after sustaining a stab wound during a night-time attack at his rented home in Kalazi Village, TA Chiwere, on July 15.

“Initial reports indicate that on the night of the incident, Nyirongo was asleep with his girlfriend when she heard strange noises coming from the sitting room. She alerted him, and when he went to check, he encountered an intruder. A scuffle followed, during which the suspect stabbed him with a sharp object before fleeing,” said Sitima.

Sitima further confirmed that although the victim cried out for help, no community members came to his aid.

“Sadly, despite his cries for help, no one in the vicinity responded. His girlfriend later called his fellow officers, who rushed him to the hospital. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead while receiving treatment,” she said.

A postmortem revealed that the cause of death was hypovolemic shock due to internal bleeding.

Sub Inspector Sitima said the suspect is in police custody and is expected to appear in court soon to answer a murder charge.

She also urged members of the public to be more responsive to calls for help and to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement.

“This tragedy could have taken a different turn if the community had responded promptly. We encourage people to always report suspicious activity and respond to distress calls, especially during the night,” she added.

The late Nyirongo hailed from Kyalama Village in TA Chikulamayembe, Rumphi District.