Armed robber arrested

One of the suspected armed robbers involved in the break-in at Newcastle Group of Schools in Harare, where electrical gadgets worth US$2,500 were stolen, appeared in court yesterday on armed robbery charges.

Batsirai Chinagina (34) pleaded not guilty before Harare magistrate Mrs. Marehwanazvo Gofa, who remanded him in custody until June 13, pending the completion of investigations. He was advised to seek bail at the High Court due to the serious nature of the charges.

According to the court, on May 8, 2024, Chinagina and his accomplices, armed with pistols and knives, entered the school premises. Chinagina entered Courage Giwa's bedroom, brandished a pistol, and pointed it at him. The robbers then tied Giwa's hands and legs with electric cables, leaving him under guard.

Meanwhile, other accomplices rounded up additional victims from the parking area and forced them to Giwa's residence. Chinagina allegedly fired two shots into the air while heading to the administration block.

Using iron bars, the gang forced open the main door, breaking into several offices in search of money but finding none. They vandalized the block's ceiling before moving to the Senior School's storeroom, where they again found nothing of value.

The robbers then returned to Giwa's residence, stealing electrical gadgets worth US$2,500, including three 43-volt car batteries and cellphones.