By Rahim Abdul
Police in Lilongwe have arrested a Congolese national and two Nigerians for Illegal Entry, Forgery and Obtaining Malawian National Identity Cards under False Pretences.
The arrests were made on Wednesday, October 1, around 9:00 pm during a raid at a lodging house in the Airwing area following intelligence reports of suspicious activity.
The suspects have been identified as Steve Leader Tsamala,aged 36, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bobby Alex Amaliri, 43 years old and John Osita Nwogbo, 43, both from Nigeria.
Police revealed that the trio had entered Malawi with the intention of acquiring national IDs and passports through illegal channels. On arrest, officers found each suspect in possession of newly produced Malawian IDs dated September 22, 2025, along with certificates stamped by a village headman fraudulently declaring them as Malawian citizens.
Investigations show that the suspects had altered their identities on the documents: Steve Tsamala registered as Steve Balaka, Bobby Amaliri as Bobby Alex Mulandire, while John Osita retained his original name.
Authorities say the trio is based in South Africa, where Steve works as a church pastor, Bobby is an electrical engineering student and John serves as a tutor at a skills development college.
They admitted entering Malawi on September 9, 2025, aiming to obtain Malawian documents to improve their employment opportunities in South Africa, claiming that SADC nationals have a higher chance of securing jobs compared to non-SADC citizens.
The suspects failed to present the passports they used to enter Malawi. Meanwhile, detectives are investigating a Malawian man known only as Ishmael, believed to have facilitated the acquisition of the fraudulent documents.
The trio is set to appear in court soon to face charges of Illegal Entry, Forgery and Obtaining Registration by False Pretences, contrary to Section 326 of the Penal Code.
