By CIJM
By the time Ethiopian immigrant Habtamu Tamirat Suganomo’s lifeless body reached Mzimba District Hospital, the corrupt network responsible for his death had already begun to unravel.
The 23-year-old’s tragic end would expose a disturbing alliance between law enforcement and criminals in a quiet Malawian town, leaving a shattered community and a grieving family thousands of miles away, desperate for answers.
“We used to see the police as our protectors,” says Martha Nyirenda, a longtime resident of Nkhamenya, her voice heavy with disappointment. “Now we wonder if they’re protecting us or just their own interests.”
Nkhamenya in Mzimba District, a transit hub along Malawi’s M1 highway connecting Tanzania and Mozambique, has long been plagued by human trafficking. Local NGOs estimate that hundreds of East African migrants pass through the region each month, hoping for better opportunities in Southern Africa.
But until now, few had suspected that those sworn to fight this illegal trade were profiting from it.
The events that led to Suganomo’s death on that fateful night along Chisinga Road read like a crime thriller, but for the residents of this small Mzimba District town, it’s a grim reality.
Two Senior Police Officers, whose names are being withheld pending investigation, are accused of conspiring with a local criminal in what appears to be a botched human trafficking operation.
“This region has always been vulnerable to trafficking networks,” says Dr. James Mkandawire, a researcher at the Center for Migration Studies in Lilongwe. “What makes this case particularly alarming is how it reveals the misuse of official positions within our security forces.”
The plot began to unravel when a white Toyota Dyna lorry, driven by a notorious local smuggler with a history of charges dating back to 2019, became the focus of what witnesses describe as a staged chase.
Sources close to the investigation suggest that the smuggler had orchestrated the entire operation with the help of the complicit officers.
“The chase was just for show,” says a local businessman who witnessed the events but asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation. “When the police vehicle ran low on fuel, we watched in shock as the same smuggler they were supposedly chasing stopped to buy them fuel.”
The deadly race reached its climax when the vehicle carrying the migrants crashed. By the time additional Police units arrived, the scene had been mysteriously cleared of all passengers except for the gravely injured Suganomo.
Instead of taking him to the nearby Nkhamenya Mission Hospital, just five minutes away, the officers made an inexplicable 40-minute detour to a facility in Jenda – a decision that likely cost Suganomo his life.
Dr. Prince Chirwa of Mzimba District Hospital confirmed what many had feared: Suganomo, identified by his passport number EP8316402, was pronounced dead on arrival. His final moments were spent in the back of a Police vehicle, far from his home in Soro, Hosana district of Ethiopia, where his family is still waiting for answers.
This case has exposed deep-rooted corruption within local law enforcement, an issue that anti-trafficking activists say has been festering for years.
According to Police records, this is the third suspicious incident involving law enforcement and human trafficking in northern Malawi this year, though previous cases were quietly buried in paperwork.
When asked about the incident, Jenda Police Command Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP) Mangadzi’s response raised further concerns. “I was completely unaware of the situation until the officers involved reported it,” he said, revealing a worrying breakdown in police command and oversight.
While Kasungu police spokesperson Joseph Kachikho confirmed basic details about the crash involving the Toyota vehicle (registration number DA11308), the broader implications of this case continue to shake the community.
Local religious leaders have called for an independent investigation, pointing to a pattern of similar incidents that have gone uninvestigated.
For the residents of Nkhamenya, the death of Habtamu Tamirat Suganomo signifies more than just the tragic loss of a life – it symbolizes the loss of trust in the very institutions meant to protect them.
As investigations continue, one question haunts the town: In a system where the protectors have become the predators, who can the people trust?
Malawi24—https://malawi24.com—first published this story.
