A British woman has been abducted in broad daylight in Malawi, prompting an investigation by local police and involvement from UK authorities. Nusrat Osman, a 47-year-old mother of two, was reportedly seized in the city of Blantyre by four men in a grey Nissan Dualis, with the motive for the kidnapping still unknown and no contact made by the perpetrators with her family or the authorities. The case has drawn wider concern in Malawi, where a senior politician warned that such abductions appear to be becoming more frequent.

Ms Osman, who was reportedly working for a local auditing firm, was taken at around 12.30pm local time on Friday. Authorities have offered a reward of more than £12,600 for credible information leading to her safe recovery and the prosecution of those responsible, and investigators are said to be contacting members of the public by text message in search of leads. Her husband told local outlet Nyasa Times he did not know her whereabouts or condition, while the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed it is aware of the reports and in touch with Malawian authorities.