A British woman kidnapped in Malawi last week has been rescued by police following a shootout in which four of her alleged kidnappers were killed. Nusrat Osman was kidnapped outside her home in the southern city of Blantyre on September 11, around 12:30 p.m. Police had offered a reward of 30 million Malawi kwacha (£12,950) for information leading to his rescue and the arrest of the perpetrators. Malawi police announced Osman’s rescue late Thursday in a statement. “There was an exchange of fire between police and kidnappers, who were armed with weapons [an] AK47 rifle and Girsan Regard MC pistol. In the process, the criminals were shot and taken to hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries.” It read: A police officer, Deputy Inspector General Mlowoka Noel Kayira, was also shot during the operation. “She is currently receiving medical attention in hospital and is in a stable condition,” police said. Osman, a 47-year-old auditor and mother of two, was safe and “not too shaken” after her ordeal, her brother Shobi Jiwa told the Sun, expressing his gratitude to the Malawi Police, Jiwa reserved special thanks for Kayira “He is the hero of our family. “He is the country’s hero,” he said. “He’s actually the hero of the world, for putting his life at risk and getting shot for my sister.” income of only $672, according to the World Bank. In 2024, a report on the country by the US State Department’s diplomatic security service said: “Kidnappings are not a widespread concern in Malawi, and there have been no recent high-profile incidents involving Westerners. “Historically, expatriates have not been major targets of kidnappings in the country.” She is originally from Leicester, worked for a local auditing firm, and lived in Malawi with her husband and children for several years. Before her rescue, her family said that They had not heard from her, not even any contact from the kidnappers demanding a ransom. Her husband, Nazil Osman, told the local newspaper Nyasa Times: “I don’t know where she is or how she is. My wife is an auditor and I have no problems with anyone.” Her brother told the Sun on Tuesday: “My sister has been missing for five days without a trace or call,” adding that the family could not think of a motive for her abduction. Police did not say whether information received in response to the reward offered had led to Osman’s rescue, adding that investigations were ongoing and more details would be shared “in due course.”
