Malawi Police are looking for Komani Nyirenda aged 33 for setting ablaze his two houses and in the process causing death of a two year old daughter in Nkhatabay.
Nkhata-Bay Police Spokesperson Sergeant Martin Bwanali confirmed the incident, saying it occurred at Chakupompha area in the district.
The police publicist said it all started on Thursday when the suspect went to a drinking spree and came back at around 10 o’clock in the evening while his two wives and children were fast asleep. Then he decided to set ablaze the two houses.
“The suspect has two wives who live in different houses at Chakupompha area. On 19th December he went to a drinking spree and came back home at 22:00 hours where upon arrival, set ablaze his two houses while his wives and children were fast asleep,” sergeant Bwanali explained.
Wanted: Komani Nyirenda
He said that insiders were roused from their sleep by the intense heat coming from the fire.
The suspect’s second wife woke up late and rushed out taking all the beddings to escape fire, she thought her two year old daughter was already out that was not the case.
“After taking the beddings outside the house, she realized that her daughter, Tijenge Nyirenda, was not in the beddings and by the time she went in to rescue her, it was too late because she was already dead due to suffocation,” Sergeant Bwanali explained.
Nkhata-Bay Police Spokesperson, however, said the family of the first wife escaped from the ordeal unharmed.
“Understandably, the second wife discovered the fire while it had already spread. And the man ran away,” sergeant Bwanali said.
He then said that the Police have intensified search for the suspect, saying that when arrested, he would appear before the court of law to answer charges of murder.
Komani and his deceased daughter, Tijenge Nyirenda, all hail from Njikho Village in the area of Traditional Authority Kabunduli in Nkhata-Bay District.