A 15-YEAR-OLD girl of Nakonde has been rescued from a Tanzanian man who allegedly abducted and defiled her. The girl is a Grade Seven pupil at Kanyimbo Primary School and was allegedly abducted by Nelson Sikamanga on October 14 this year. A team of officers from the police, social welfare department a n d n o n – g o v e r n m e n t a l organisations travelled to Tanzania on Tuesday to rescue the girl after her head teacher, Charles Sichamba, reported that she had been abducted. M u c h i n g a P r o v i n c e Commissioner of Police Joel Njase said the victim was rescued and has been brought back into the country.

“When the team reached Tanzania, they proceeded to Tunduma Police Station where they explained their purpose of visit. “After explaining to the authorities in that country, they were assigned an officer to accompany them to Sekwa village where the girl was being kept,” Mr Njase said. At the village the team was told that the suspect had run away, leaving the victim behind.

Mr Njase said the girl is being kept at Redeemer’s Orphanage centre for counselling and rehabilitation, an exercise which is conducted and monitored by officers at the One Stop Centre in Nakonde. “A sensitisation campaign on early childhood marriages, defilement and indecent assault was conducted at Kanyimbo Primary School where the pupils were encouraged to concentrate on their education,” Mr Njase said.

Meanwhile, a 34-year-old man of Mafinga has been arrested for allegedly attempting to transport seven children aged between 14 and 18 to Nakonde to work at a farm. Mr Njase said Musa Sinkamba was arrested on Wednesday around midnight at Kampumbu checkpoint after police officers intercepted a Toyota Noah in which the children were being ferried.

He said the children are all residents of Muyombe Township in Mafinga. “After interviewing the suspect, he alleged that he was sent by Moses Sinyinza of Nteko village in Nakonde district to take the children to work at Sinyinza Farms,” he said. Mr Njase said the children’s parents will be summoned for interviews. He said the social welfare department will be engaged to assist in rehabilitating and counselling the minors.