Three boys from Chinhoyi narrowly escaped a potentially tragic situation and lived to recount their ordeal after miraculously evading their abductors. The minors, aged between 11 and 13, were taken while gathering grass for rabbit feed on the outskirts of Rusununguko suburb.
An internal police memorandum obtained by NewZimbabwe.com revealed that an unidentified assailant seized the victims from Cherima suburb, marching them forcefully to a secluded area over 10 kilometers away. The incident occurred on December 27, 2023, around 9:00 AM.
The assailant, armed with a machete, ordered the juveniles to walk single file, crossing Hunyani River and covering approximately 11 kilometers. They reached a location in the bush where a black, unregistered Caravan kombi was parked. Two masked males in black attire disembarked, holding empty sacks and ropes. They tied the complainants’ hands and legs, placing them in sacks and loading them into the kombi with no seats.
After driving for about two kilometers, the kidnappers stopped in the bush, lifted the complainants out of the kombi, and placed them in a thick bush behind a hill. The boys were made to undress, and the kidnappers demanded an Itel S16 cellphone from one of the victims.
The abduction took an unexpected turn when the kidnappers heard voices of women cutting firewood nearby. They went to investigate, leaving one behind to pack the victims’ clothes. Seizing the opportunity, the boys fled the scene.
The incident was reported at ZRP Chikonohono Base under RRB 570833, and police investigated the scene. The stolen property amounted to US$35, with nothing recovered. The quick thinking and courage of the boys averted a potentially grave situation.
