By Mbekezeli Ncube

POLICE in Bulawayo have confirmed the arrest of a 23-year-old city man in connection with carjacking and two counts of robbery which occurred on 12 February this year.

The alleged robberies occurred between mid-morning and mid-day.

Nicky Ngwenya of Emakhandeni is in police custody helping the law enforcers with investigations while two other accomplices who teamed up with him in the robberies are still at large.

Police provincial spokesperson Inspector Abednego Ncube explained the circumstances.

“In the first instance, the accused person met the complainant who is a taxi driver and pretended to be a customer who wanted to go to Hillside area where he claimed he wanted to take his generator.

“When he was offered that transport, the accused person later disembarked at a given number,” said Insp Ncube.

The suspect got into the house and returned to stab the driver once before pulling him out of the vehicle and speeding off with the same vehicle to Parklands where he met his second victim.

Insp Ncube added, “In Parklands, he met a woman, aged 21 years and snatched a cell phone and some other woman’s belongings and sped away.”

According to Ncube, by that time Ngwenya was in the company of two other accomplices who are still at large.

The crew proceeded towards Conrad Drive where they met a 20-year-old woman heading to the Bulawayo Central Business District.

“He jumped off the vehicle and grabbed the woman and took her bag which contained various properties and money. He, together with two other accomplices stabbed the woman in the hand and all over the body.

“The woman screamed and villagers and other members of the public came to her rescue leading to the three taking off at high speed using the stolen vehicle which resulted in an accident when the Honda Fit rammed into the durawall,” said Insp Ncube.

The trio tried to escape but Ngwenya was the unlucky one leading to his arrest.

He was taken to Bulawayo Central Police station to help with further investigations.

“The suspect was identified by victim number two and some of her property was recovered inside the stolen vehicle and now Ngwenya is assisting us with investigations and we are expecting to clear quite a number of cases on him,” Insp Ncube added.

The senior police officer also gave credit to the public for their cooperating with the police when it comes to catching criminals and putting them away from society.

“I would like to appreciate members of the public for embracing collectiveness in the fight against crime. Community policing is very much effective in Bulawayo and I would want to warn criminals that Bulawayo is not a conducive place for criminal activities,” he said.