Child kidnappers nabbed

Midlands Correspondent
A 17-year-old boy from Bulawayo who was being jointly accused with two others o f kidnapping a four-year-old girl from Kwekwe during a United Family International Church (UFIC) church service has been sentenced to three years at Blue Hills Juvenile Reform School.

The boy who was being jointly accused with Andrew Musarurwa (23) and Rumbidzai Chimimba (20) pleaded guilty to kidnapping when he appeared before Gokwe regional magistrate Mr Amos Mbobo.

Chimimba’s trial was deferred as she was critically ill, while Musarurwa was sentenced to 10 years when he appeared before the same court in September.

The circumstances were that on September 8, the three went to a UFIC church service at New Mining Museum Hall at around 1.30pm where they kidnapped the girl, a daughter to a prominent Kwekwe businessman.

They then hired a getaway car which they used to take the girl to Gokwe where they kept her at their hideout.

The following day, the kidnappers made a call to a member of the church demanding the details of the girl’s mother.

They then made another anonymous call to the girl’s parents demanding a ransom of US$40 000.

After two days, the girl’s mother called the kidnappers informing them that she had raised the required amount.

The kidnappers gave the girl’s mother directions to a storm water drain at a 20km peg along the Kwekwe-Mvuma road where she was supposed to drop the money and was advised not to bring the police or any other person.

At around 1pm, the girl’s mother went and dropped the money at the said point before informing the kidnappers.

After an hour, the kidnappers called to inform her that they had seen the money and that they would make arrangements to return the child.

At around 9pm, the kidnappers called the girl’s mother to collect her daughter at a fast food outlet in Kwekwe where she found her eating some food bought by the kidnappers.

The kidnappers then went to Gweru where they bought a Nissan Caravan before driving to another hideout house in Nkulumane suburb in Bulawayo.

Police got a tip off from members of the public as well as relatives of the accused persons before proceeding to Bulawayo where they waylaid them and arrested Chimimba who they found in the house.

Musarurwa and the 17-year-old boy were arrested later.

Police recovered US$10 200, a Nissan Caravan, BMW sedan, king-size bed, three-piece kitchen unit, wardrobe, four-plate stove, Telefunken

LCD television set, refrigerator and several clothing items all valued at US$20 000 which were suspected to have been acquired using the ransom money.

Mr Robert Ndlala appeared for the state.