By Burnett Munthali
Police in Karonga have arrested a 34-year-old man, Victor Msukwa, for allegedly taking part in the murder of Christopher Ngonya at Kasewe Village in the district.
According to Karonga Police Public Relations Officer, Constable Margret Msiska, the events leading to Ngonya’s murder began on January 23, 2025, when his son died after a short illness.
The sudden death of the child did not sit well with the community members, who immediately started accusing Christopher Ngonya of practicing witchcraft and being responsible for his son’s demise.
After the burial of the child, anger and suspicion spread among the villagers, leading them to take matters into their own hands.
In an act of mob justice, they forcefully seized Ngonya and took him to a nearby bush, from which he never returned.
Initially, when police officers visited Kasewe Village to investigate the matter, no villager was willing to come forward with any information regarding the incident.
However, on January 27, 2025, a well-wisher broke the silence and led the police to the scene where Ngonya’s body had been secretly buried.
The officers exhumed the body and discovered it in an advanced state of decomposition, indicating that the murder had taken place days earlier.
It was established that Ngonya had been brutally assaulted, set on fire, and subsequently buried by his attackers.
In a shocking attempt to conceal the crime, the perpetrators planted banana suckers over the shallow grave to mask the burial site.
A postmortem examination was later conducted, which revealed that Ngonya’s death was caused by excessive bleeding resulting from the severe assault he had endured.
Following thorough investigations, police arrested Victor Msukwa, who hails from Mwenilera Village under Traditional Authority Mwakawoko in Karonga District.
Msukwa is expected to appear in court once all necessary legal paperwork is completed.
He will face a murder charge, which is contrary to Section 209 of the Penal Code.
His arrest marks a significant step in ensuring that those responsible for Ngonya’s gruesome murder are brought to justice.
The police have since warned the public against taking the law into their own hands and urged communities to report suspicions of criminal activity through legal channels instead of resorting to mob violence.
