Katima Mulilo
Prompt action by the police in Katima Mulilo led to the rescue of two students abducted on Saturday night for possible ritual killing.
Unconfirmed reports say the two rescued from the boot of a car at a dump site on the outskirts of Katima were going to be ‘sacrified’ for muti at the instigation of a businessman.
The nightmare for the teenagers started when they were kidnapped by three men in the centre of Katima Mulilo on Saturday evening. They were then locked in a boot of a taxi that drove to a dump site on the periphery of town.
The reason for the kidnapping remains speculation but rumours are doing the rounds that it all points to a possible ritual killing. Further speculation is that the organs of the victims would have been harvested for use by a witch doctor to cast black magic spells that apparently result in people becoming rich.
What seems to have heightened the black magic conspiracy theory among residents is that one of the detectives that trailed the trio was involved in a road accident shortly after their arrest.
The detective is currently receiving treatment in the Katima Mulilo State Hospital.
Other allegations are that the driver of the taxi has been taking his often bloodstained vehicle to a car wash for cleaning for quite some time.
Details remain sketchy on what might have transpired but unconfirmed reports suggest the two rescued teenage boys were confronted by the three men for taking pictures of them (the kidnappers) with cellphones.
The men then bundled the petrified teenagers into the back of the taxi and confiscated their cellphones.
The three men, identified as Sabiso Samulandela, 30, the driver of the taxi Vasco Kabaolwa, 23, and Midrick Sinvula, 30, then drove the two teenagers to the dump site on the north-western outskirts of Katima Mulilo.
Police on patrol having spotted the suspicious-looking vehicle trailed it after its lights were switched off on the way to the dump site.
At the site, the three men who were said to have been consuming alcohol pretended as if everything was fine when confronted by the police. However screams of “help us, help us” soon came from the boot of the taxi, which led to the police demanding the three open up the boot, upon which the two scared teenagers were found.
The three men then fled the scene despite the police firing some warning shots in their direction.
It is believed one of the suspects had a gun.
Samulandela is said to have gone to the police station the following morning to report that his vehicle was stolen.
However it turned out Samulandela’s luck ran out as he was identified by the police, who were on patrol the night of the incident, as one of the kidnappers and was subsequently arrested. Samulandela then named his accomplices who were arrested the same day.
They all appeared in court on Tuesday on charges of human trafficking, kidnapping and robbery.
Bail was denied on grounds that the crime was of a serious nature and that they might interfere with investigations.
They opted to apply for legal aid.
The matter was postponed to November 25 for further police investigations.
Magistrate Nomsa Sibanda presided, while George Matali appeared for the State.
Arraigned…In the image: Vasco Kabaolwa in yellow shirt, Midrick Sinvula and Sabiso Samulandela making their court appearance on charges of robbery and human trafficking.