2 killed in Malawi police shootout as kidnapped British woman rescued

A British mother of two who was kidnapped nearly a week earlier has been rescued by Malawi police in a dramatic operation that involved a shootout, left at least two suspected abductors dead, and seriously injured a senior police officer.

Nusrat Osman (also referred to as Nusrat Jiwa Osman or Nustrat Osman), 47, an auditor originally from Leicester in the United Kingdom, was freed on Thursday, September 17, 2026, during an intelligence-led raid on a house in the Chadzunda area (also described as Mpemba/Chadzunda) on the outskirts of Blantyre.

Osman had been abducted on September 11 around 12:30 p.m. local time in Blantyre’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. According to police and family accounts, four men intercepted her as she returned home after a school run, forced her from her vehicle, and drove her away in a grey Nissan Dualis. No ransom demand or contact from the kidnappers was reported, and the motive remains unclear. Authorities had offered a reward of 30 million Malawian kwacha (roughly $17,000 or £12,500–£13,000) for information leading to her safe recovery and the perpetrators’ arrest.

Police said officers exchanged gunfire with the suspects, who were armed with an AK-47 rifle and a pistol (identified in some reports as a Girsan Regard MC). The Malawi Police Service initially stated that the criminals were shot and later died in hospital. Early reports indicated four suspected kidnappers were killed; a later clarification from the Inspector General of Police stated that two had died, with others still being sought.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Noel Kayira (also referred to as Dr. Mlowoka Noel Kayira) sustained serious gunshot injuries to his midriff during the operation. He was treated at Mwaiwathu Private Hospital in Blantyre and was reported to be in a stable condition. Malawi’s Vice-President Jane Ansah visited him in hospital, praising the dedication of security personnel. Osman’s family has publicly hailed Kayira as a hero for his role in the rescue.

Local media, including Times 360 Malawi, published photographs of the house where Osman was held. The structure, which residents said was built relatively recently, showed what appeared to be gunshot holes in the windows and roof, along with broken utensils and empty water bottles outside.

Osman was reunited with her family and was described by her brother as safe and “not too shaken.” She has lived in Malawi for several years with her husband and their two young children while working for an auditing firm. The UK Foreign Office had been in contact with Malawian authorities following reports of the abduction. Investigations into the kidnapping continue.

The case had drawn significant attention in Malawi and among the British community, with family members describing days of anguish after the daylight abduction.