Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-04-19 02:45:00
|
|
| This part of Namontana is a real jungle of insecurity. |
A vehicle belonging to L’Express de Madagascar staff was targeted by eight criminals in Namontana, near the market. The police lost track of them in the maze.
A paralyzing fear gripped our drivers and layout artists after narrowly escaping an attack in Namontana yesterday around 2 o’clock in the morning.
They had just dropped off another layout artist who lives in the neighborhood. They turned back near the market to head towards Anosibe when eight individuals, each armed with a large machete, blocked their path. It happened about fifty meters from the paoist’s house.
Surrounded, the driver fortunately had quick reflexes. He accelerated just as some of the robbers started hitting the front right side window with their weapons. The blows did no damage.
The two occupants of our staff vehicle continued at full speed to the roundabout at Anosibe where a national police intervention team is stationed. After telling them what happened, they were accompanied by the police to the scene.
Escape
“Some of them got in with us. Others followed us with their 4×4. They turned on their sirens,” describes our driver.
Meanwhile, the criminals robbed a butcher shop at the same location. They were still there when the security forces arrived. They quickly dispersed in the darkness upon seeing them approach.
“The police armed their rifles and chased them on foot through the alleys of the neighborhood. They searched for them for fifteen minutes, but ultimately lost them. They recovered the meat, half of a cow, that the bandits abandoned during their escape,” recounts the same witness.
His colleague also narrowly escaped the same fate on April 12. “I was cautious when eight ruffians wanted to attack me. I managed to evade them. Usually, we drop off the paoist at the same time. That’s why these villains target us,” relates the other driver from the L’Express Group.
One of the newspaper’s vehicles had already been attacked and colleagues robbed, in the Anosipatrana area on May 16, 2019. What is concerning is that residents notice fewer patrols in these neighborhoods considered hotspots for criminal activity.
Hajatiana Leonard
Read the original article(French) on lexpress.mg
