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Cletus Mushanawani in Mutare and Freeman Razemba in Harare

TRIPLE homicide suspect and ex-policeman, Jaison Muvevi, was yesterday afternoon extradited from Mozambique to Zimbabwe after spending Monday night in police holding cells in Manica town in the neighbouring country, following his arrest earlier that day.

Muvevi was arrested across the border in Mozambique, three days after allegedly gunning down three people in Hwedza, Mashonaland East Province, in a bizarre incident which has shocked the whole nation.

Heavily armed police were seen yesterday transferring Muvevi from Mutare Central Police Station to the capital pending his prosecution for the murder of the three people and attempted murder of at least two more.

The murder victims are Crispen Mubvana Kanerusine (62) of Zinzombe Village, Hwedza, Inspector Maxwell Hove (43) of ZRP Hwedza Camp and Munashe Mujanhi (20) of Mujanhi Village, Hwedza.

Detective Constable Tendai Mugova escaped with injuries sustained in the Hwedza shootings while a Mutare man, Raphael Nyahwema (23) narrowly escaped death when Muvevi shot at him and missed his target after a chance encounter at Mutare Boys High School where the fugitive was seeking food and possibly, refuge.

There were initial indications that Muvevi was likely to first appear in a Mozambican court to answer to charges of illegal entry into that country and pointing a firearm at a police officer.

However, the Mozambicans handed Muvevi over to the Zimbabwean authorities after extradition formalities were completed.

He was taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) station in Mutare before being transferred to Harare for further management.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the developments.

“He is now in Zimbabwe and also on his way to Harare for further investigations,” he said.

Muvevi is expected to appear in court soon facing three murder charges, two attempted murder charges, unlawful possession of firearms and border jumping, among others once investigations have been completed.

Muvevi, a former CID detective who is understood to have been a gold dealer, killed an apostolic church leader, Kanerusine, in cold blood as he was preaching in front of congregants in Hwedza on Friday afternoon.

He went on to fatally shoot the officer-in-charge of Hwedza Police Station, Inspector Hove and a male bartender, Mujanhi, while Constable Mugova was seriously injured in the gun fight with the rogue former cop.

After killing the three in Hwedza, Muvevi escaped resulting in police launching a manhunt for him.

Investigations revealed that Muvevi fled to Rusape and then Mutare where he bought a navy blue worksuit at a shop situated at Wasu Mall before he went to Mutare Boys High School premises.

A team of detectives and other security agents remained on high alert when they received information that Muvevi was still in Mutare and was likely to cross the border into Mozambique.

They then alerted their counterparts across the border and provided them with Muvevi’s pictures.

His luck ran out on Monday morning after he was identified as he was about to board a commuter omnibus in Manica, Mozambique.

He was then arrested, amid dramatic scenes, by police in the neighbouring country.

A team of Zimbabwean detectives was immediately deployed to Mozambique to carry out the due processes of the law before Muvevi was taken back to the country for prosecution.

Mozambican security details and their Zimbabwean counterparts, whose vehicles were allowed to cross into the eastern neighbouring country, escorted the suspect to Mutare around lunchtime where he was briefly detained before being whisked away under heavy police guard, to Harare.

As news of Muvevi’s arrest filtered through, scores of Mutare residents rushed to the Central Police Station to catch a glimpse of the trigger-happy suspect.

Reports from Mozambique indicate that after crossing into the neighbouring country, Muvevi tried to hire a motorcyclist to ferry him to Chimoio town 100km from Mutare’s Forbes Border Post.

It is reported that he had offered the cyclist US$200 to take him to Chimoio, but later produced a gun and threatened to shoot the cyclist if he defied his instructions.

He later tried to board a Chimoio-bound kombi and was finally arrested by Mozambican law enforcement agents.