Woman and two children thwart attempted kidnapping of their husband, father in central Maputo – Watch

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Woman and two children thwart attempted kidnapping of their husband, father in central Maputo – Watch

8:00 CAT | 10 Aug 2021

Photo: O País

Four individuals attempted to kidnap a businessman on Avenida Olof Palma in central Maputo on Monday afternoon.

The man, an Indian citizen named Adir Mansur, was leaving the Taka-Taka hotel and restaurant with his wife and two children at around 2:30 p.m. when the event occurred.

According to an eyewitness, the kidnappers were travelling in a grey Toyota Mark-X vehicle and carrying AK-47-type guns. They entered from Avenida Eduardo Mondlane going towards Avenida Maguiguana and, upon arriving at the scene, two of them got out of the car to snatch the victim.

“The man (the victim), realising what was about to happen, ran back to try to enter the restaurant, but it was too late. They followed him, grabbed him, then dropped him to the ground, while the vehicle where they were using approached to facilitate the operation,” the witness said.

But in the meantime, according to the same source, the man’s wife and children – aged around eight – rushed to his aid. The wife pulled her husband inside and blocked the door so that he could not be taken away. The children also tried to help their father, until a stranger came up and took them aside.

In turmoil, one of the kidnappers dropped his gun, which the other little boy grabbed and tried again to enter the restaurant.

“But the bandit managed to retrieve the weapon,” the witness said. “When we realised what was happening, we tried to get closer, and they fired two shots at the ground,” he went on. “They [the kidnappers] were quite at ease – it didn’t even seem like we were all screaming. Only when they saw that they could no longer continue did they give up, get back in the car and drive off. They weren’t even hooded, and left calmly.”

The video below immediately started making the rounds on social media with the caption: ‘Brave wife saves husband from kidnappers’.

Nearby there are surveillance cameras that can help identify the criminals. Soon after, the police came to the scene to investigate the case.

“We were notified and promptly went to the scene, we closed all probable escape routes, but we didn’t have the success we were hoping for. The criminals managed to escape,” said PRM spokesman Leonel Muchina.

Source: O País