BOBE MURDER TRIAL: Witness Identifies Suspects, Defence Fights Back

BLANTYRE— Dramatic and emotional scenes played out in the High Court in Blantyre today as the murder trial of seven men accused of killing prominent medical doctor Victoria Bobe continued, with her husband breaking down in tears during testimony.

Dr. Bobe, 33, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and lecturer at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, was brutally shot dead during a violent armed robbery at her Chigumula residence on November 17, 2025.

The seven accused, Charles Chikapa, Maxwell Elia, Rafic Abdul Hassan, Santos Chamaba, Peter Chimenya, Issa Allie and Peter Mphepo have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, robbery and burglary. They are represented by, among others, prominent lawyer Michael Goba Chipeta. The state is led by Abdul Limbe before High Court Judge Ruth Chinangwa.

The suspects entering the court room.

Yamikani Bobe, the deceased’s husband and the first prosecution witness, took the stand and emotionally recounted the terrifying night of the attack. He told the court how he and his late wife desperately held the bedroom door shut against the intruders. The fatal shot was fired through the closed door by a gunman in the corridor, meaning Bobe never saw the shooter’s face. His wife collapsed instantly after being hit.

Once inside, the attackers demanded cash and US dollars. With little money found, they made off with laptops, mobile phones and other valuables before fleeing the scene.I dont know why they shot my wife Bobe sobbed. Overcome with grief while describing the moment his wife was shot, Bobe broke down in tears, forcing a brief adjournment of proceedings. He positively identified one of the accused in the dock, pointing to a distinctive red eye visible despite the masks worn by the intruders.

Bobe also revealed that the family had hired private security, but the alarm system failed to bring immediate help. The guard on duty was a part-time guard who only worked one day a week.

The second witness, Jimmy Kanyerere, a former police officer (2000–2018) and leader of the Chigumula neighbourhood watch, gave a gripping account of the events. He received a desperate voice note from Dr. Bobe on the security WhatsApp group: “Kwabwera okuba, tithandizeni.”

Kanyerere said he immediately responded that he was coming with his dogs but was briefly delayed while securing the animals. As he approached the house, he came face-to-face with the fleeing suspects. One fired a warning shot into the air while shouting “Ufera za eni,” as a shorter man appeared to lead the group, issuing instructions and berating the others.

He told the court that during a highly publicised and televised crime scene reconstruction in mid-December 2025 shortly after the arrests when police paraded the suspects at the Bobe home and had them demonstrate how they allegedly carried out the robbery and murder, he immediately recognised two of them.

In court today, Kanyerere pointed out the man who allegedly fired the shot identifying him by appearance, voice and Chichewa accent as well as the shorter suspect believed to be the leader. He also described discovering two abandoned phones, a Samsung and an iPhone neatly placed together the next morning along the escape route behind the house, as if deliberately set down to avoid damage.

Defence lawyer Michael Goba Chipeta  subjected Kanyerere to intense cross-examination, zeroing in on alleged inconsistencies between his police statement and court testimony particularly regarding the discovery of the phones. In his written statement, Kanyerere reportedly said he found them alone and handed them over to police, but in the dock he stated he discovered them with a sister of Yamikani Bobe, who then took them to the house.

“Why are you changing statements?” Chipeta demanded.

The defence also questioned why Kanyerere, as a former police officer, and other civilians handled potential evidence instead of immediately securing the scene for Criminal Investigation Department (CID) experts. Kanyerere explained that police roles are specialised, with CID handling crime scenes, while his own training was more general. When asked if members of his neighbourhood watch should be considered suspects, he firmly rejected the suggestion.

Chipeta further challenged the reliability of the night-time identifications, but Kanyerere insisted that bright security lights from nearby properties provided sufficient visibility.

The crime scene reconstruction in mid-December 2025, led by Detective Inspector Christopher Pangeti, the South West Region police team leader who headed the investigations, saw the suspects re-enact the events. It drew mixed reactions along with massive public attention at the time.

Around 2012 Detective Sergeant Christopher Pangeti was arrested along with two other police officers Sergeant Difta Sitima and Constable Jonathan Mekiseni and civilians in connection with an armed robbery at the Colony Club Casino in Blantyre.

The group was accused of involvement in the theft of approximately MK6 million around US$15,000–$20,000 at the time from the casino.

nyasa times reported about the 6 million kwacha heist.

Kanyerere concluded his testimony today. The court adjourned until 9am on Wednesday, 9 July 2026 , when the state is expected to call its third witness.