A British mother who was snatched in Malawi and held captive for a week has been rescued following a dramatic gunfight that left four kidnappers dead.
Nusrat Jiwa Osman, 47, was abducted by a gang of armed men after she pulled up at her home after doing the school run on September 11.
Detectives were baffled as no ransom or demands were made for her release for six days, with the case gripping the landlocked country in south-east Africa.
Police traced the mother-of-two, who is originally from Leicester, to the outskirts of her home city Blantyre on Thursday and identified the suspects armed with a pistol and an AK47.
‘The criminals got shot and were rushed to the hospital where they succumbed to the injuries,’ the Malawi Police Service said in a statement.
Deputy inspector general of police Noel Kayira sustained gunshot injuries in the firefight and has been hailed a national hero following the rescue.
Nusrat Osman, a mother of two young children, is from Leicester and was working in Malawi as an auditor
Shobi Jiwa, Ms Osman’s younger brother, said: ‘We are deeply grateful to Noel Kayira, who took a bullet to his body and bravely saved our sister Nusrat.
‘He is the hero of our family. He’s the hero of the country. He’s the hero of the world, actually, for putting his life at risk and taking a bullet for my sister.’
In a statement, the family said the officer’s ‘courage and selflessness will never be forgotten’.
The police chief was rushed into hospital for surgery but was said to be stable last night.
Mr Jiwa said his sister was ‘smiling’ and ‘not too shaken’ by her ordeal. ‘She’s a humble soul and a beautiful person,’ he added.
Ms Osman moved to Malawi for her husband’s job and works as an auditor. The kidnappers trailed her in a Nissan Dualis and snatched her off the street.
Authorities offered a reward of £12,800 for information on her whereabouts. But there was no obvious motive to the kidnap, with her husband – who has not been identified – telling local press: ‘My wife is an auditor and I have no issues with anyone.’
And asked if he had any idea of the motive, Mr Jiwa said: ‘There is nothing we can think of.’
Malawi has seen a spate of kidnappings this year, with 15 people abducted and found dead in February alone. The Foreign Office warns Britons travelling to the country that there is a danger of kidnappings for ‘financial gain or motivated by criminality’.