The Mangochi Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has convicted and sentenced seven family members to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour each for vandalising Chilipa Police Unit and Chilipa Magistrate’s Court following the reported disappearance of a 14-year-old boy, Alli Nuru.
The convicts have been identified as Amina Alidi, 38, Wisiki Saidi, 40, Muhajiri Saidi, 39, Binali Umali, 28, Yusuf Kamwana, 28, Liyasa Maulana, 25, and Ibra Muhajiri, 22.
The court heard through the Station’s Prosecution Officer, Inspector Amos Mwase, that the boy was reported missing at Chilipa Police Unit by his mother(first convict) earlier last month.
However, on August 24, 2026, following a disagreement over the handling of the missing person case, the convicts vandalised structures at Chilipa Police Unit, including the Magistrate’s Court building, and injured a police officer.
The boy was later found alive in Balaka Township on August 29, 2026, where he had been doing piecework without his mother’s knowledge.
The seven convicts were arrested on September 2, 2026, after being on the run for several days, with the assistance of members of the community.
Appearing before court, all seven pleaded guilty to the charge of malicious damage. In mitigation, they asked for leniency, saying they were remorseful for their actions.
However, Inspector Mwase highlighted that vandalism of government property was becoming rampant in the area. He said it was high time community members refrained from taking the law into their own hands whenever disagreements arose with public officers. He therefore prayed for custodial sentences.
In his ruling, Senior Resident Magistrate Muhammad Chande concurred with the state, observing that the missing boy was eventually found alive, demonstrating the dangers of acting on assumptions and unverified information.
Chande subsequently sentenced each convict to three years’ imprisonment with hard labour for malicious damage.
Meanwhile, the convicts are expected to continue answering charges of unlawful wounding and giving false information, to which they all pleaded not guilty.
All convicts come from Masapi Village, Traditional Authority Chilipa in Mangochi.
lnspector Amina Tepani Daudi
Public Relations Officer
Mangochi Police Station
Cell:0999-706-525
Email:amina.tepani@police.gov.mw
Website:www.police.gov.mw