Nusrat Osman was rescued in Malawi on Thursday in a police operation on the outskirts of Blantyre after being abducted nearly a week earlier. Four suspected kidnappers died after exchanging gunfire with police, and Deputy Inspector General of Police Noel Kayira was wounded.
Osman, who is from Leicester in the United Kingdom and has lived in Malawi for several years, was taken to hospital for treatment and for physical and mental health assessments. She is married and has two young children.
Malawi Police Service operation
The Malawi Police Service said the case began on 11 September, when four unidentified men blocked Osman's vehicle in Mount Pleasant, forced her into another car and drove away. The police service had offered a reward of 30 million Malawian kwacha, or about $17,000, for information leading to her rescue and the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
The police operation ended with a gunfight, and the police service said: "The criminals got shot and were rushed to the hospital where they succumbed to the injuries,". Kayira was being treated in hospital and was said to be in a stable condition. Shobi Jiwa described him as a "hero" in remarks to The Sun.
UK Foreign Office contact
The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of reports that a British national had been abducted in Malawi and was in touch with local authorities. Police also said there had been no known ransom demand or communication from the kidnappers after Osman's disappearance, which left investigators working from the abduction itself rather than from any message from the men involved.
The rescue closes the immediate search for Osman, but the unanswered issue is how police found the group before the operation on the outskirts of Blantyre. The police service has not provided further detail on that point, while Osman remains in hospital under care.
