Friday, March 29, 2024

Two armed criminals escape from police custody

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Two dangerous criminals armed with an AK47 Rifle have escaped from Solwezi state prison.
The criminals also escaped with six rounds of ammunitions.

Two other suspected criminals are nursing serious injuries sustained after being shot at as they attempted to escape.

North Western Province Police Commanding Officer, Fabian Katiba, confirmed to ZANIS in Solwezi that the two suspects escaped as they were being taken back to the remand prison after attending a court session.

He said the suspected criminals are appearing in the High Court on charges of aggravated robbery.

Mr. Katiba said the suspects, who were handcuffed, managed to free themselves and grabbed the fire arms from the Police officers assigned to accompany them.

He said one of the Police officers was over powered by the suspects who grabbed the fire arm and fired three warning shots in the air to scare away any potential chasers, whilst running away with three others.

The Police Chief explained that the criminals failed to over power the second police officer, who managed to shoot at them injuring two seriously and capturing the third one.

Mr. Katiba said Police have launched a manhunt and have appealed to the public to help arrest the dangerous criminals.

ZANIS

35 COMMENTS

  1. I do not know whether to laugh or not but the ratio of suspects/inmates to police officers in Zambia is laughable. If you have four dangerous criminals, why only allocate them two officers?

  2. On this: “Mr. Katiba said the suspects, who were handcuffed, managed to free themselves and grabbed the fire arms from the Police officers assigned to accompany them.”

    Where were the officers when the criminal had all the time to take off the handcuffs and advance to further take away the gun? This was a planned move by these officers and the criminals.

  3. Looks they were five or may be more which makes it even worse in terms of ratio. The second officer injured two and captured one (who I pressume was not even hurt).

  4. Why do Zambians always assume everything to be planned? Five years ago, 4 criminals if I remember correctly escaped in London from a Securita van while being driven to court. This is where I agree Nine Chale that these things happen everywhere. But, then again it`s what you do about it. Chances are these two will never be brought to book, the state doesn`t even know where they live let alone any “connections” they have.

  5. In case people have forgoten obviously because of being away for too long. Guys suspects, prisoners in Zambia are handcuffed in twos and only the hands are done. It means they have one hand and their feet free so why not use them?

  6. The big question is about how these criminals managed to free themselves from handcuffs. Apart from using a key let one blogger educate us how this procedure can be done. If no one can tell us then we rightly assume it was an inside arrangement. May be even the London incident was an inside arrangement esepcially where they are escorted by officers from a private company.

  7. Same person posting here but I have already answered that question in #9. Unless you do not know how the system works in the UK, you do not question why they were escorted by a private firm.

  8. By the way I never said they were escorted by officers from a private company! I bet that is not rockect science (or physics lol).

  9. These cops must be detained to help with investigations. How can these criminals free themselves without officers noticing anythhing strange ? They must be sent back to Lilayi for further training after serving their sentence on conspiring with these criminals. Zambia what a nation. God help us

  10. Why are some people being thick here (I mean thick in english please)? May be this is something WWE commentators can encourage people to try at home. If my right hand is handcuffed to another person`s left hand, what can stop us using are free hands freely? These criminals just took advantage of this and used it to perfection. Tefilimu mwebantu it`s real.

  11. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty but from the face value, one can see that there is either gross negligence or luck of honesty, skill and/or stamina from these Police officers. These virtues are essential for them to conduct their duty. It is worrying and raising concerns to citizens’ weather citizens are safe in the hands of such police men. How on earth can a handcuffed man overpower an able bodied-armed Police man or woman? I implore the Commissioner of Police to probe this matter and search the integrity and caliber of his staff to avoid a dangerous people getting back into society. If found unfit, these officers must be retired on medical grounds. If corrupt, prosecuted. It is worrying that these criminals fled with guns meaning that they will continue perpetrating…

  12. You have to be naive to blame these officers. I agree this has to be investigated but in a real world, this is a possibility. This is reason prisoners/suspects are like in the US chained together and not in twos. In the UK they have resolved to have a good ratio instead. If a rapist has reason say to go and see his GP, he will be allocated atleast 3 prison officers. There are no short cuts to reality. As long as the ratio is not improved, you and I will be reading about things like this 15 years from now.

  13. Even two Mike Tysons at his prime would not stop 5 if not more dangerous criminals in a situation like this. lol!

  14. The Bwana were probably too weak and underfed to wrestle with the criminals. This calls for improving their diet via better salaries.

  15. Batata ba Chicago tema salaries iyo.Yes insala complicates the situation but I would give you a good meal and put you in a situation like this, impondo ishi shikamwuma imbama mukalapila nokulapila. Call for the government to improve the officer-prisoner/suspect ratio. Ninshi mwasova. Naya guys.

  16. I feel sorry for the policeman who was overpowered. He’s likely to be punished by his bosses. The criminals seem to be quite good hearted, they could have shot dead the policemen. In any case, the captured man can lead the police in tracking down those escaped if he knows them. That’s some hope.

  17. If there were 6 or more officers and this happened, I would be worried. It`s a shame yes that an innocent officer will have to answer questions for something we know we have to be blaming the state. Chherio guys. Take care. 3 is out! Tah!

  18. Even the police officer was hungry, that’s why he was overpowered! Obviously, he did not have the correct shoes! Perhaps, he could have used his feet to defend himself!

  19. I have stopped moving at nite.wafwa kuti fyakulasa ifilwani…if things can overpower trained cops..who are we as citizens? Are we surely protected? or we need weightlifters to be cops…

  20. What do you expect when Police are not paid?

    Robbers, Masqueraders, Thugs harassing journalists, Oh my God, MMD governance at its best. Legitimate institutions now have to resort to the courts. Its crazy. The Times of Zambia reports that The Lusaka High Court has granted a mandatory injunction to the Lusaka City Council (LCC) restraining individuals masquerading as MMD cadres from collecting bus station levies at Lusaka City market.

    How on earth would a bunch of thugs have the guts to intimidate a council, to an extent that it diverts the meagre resources at its disposal, from productive uses, to paying legal fees to protect its revenue generation structures?

  21. How can criminals escape like that in a small town like Solwezi without being tracked. I hope it wont be another Mumbai where 10 mujahadeens held the town of iver 10million pipo for more than 24hrs. Should we assume the police were still nursing hangovers after being on duty for too long during RB & Mswati visits to Solwezi. Mr. Katiba what is happening to that part of mother Zambia? Should we conclude those chaps were Congolese or Angolans. Its unbelieable that crimminals can manage to disarm police officers in broadday light. Does it mean the cops had no transport.? Katiba should be held responsible.

  22. Remember some of the officer were not paid their salaries for June and this can make a good reason for some quick cash. Knowing my close friends Kaondes, it will not be possible to find the criminals as long as the ‘Bamwisho’ word is concerned to give tips to Police in our Town of Solwezi.

  23. Tu buju tatufola ama hafu ayengi. Possibly they didn’t even eat lunch, if they ate then fisali and how can they over power ifiyamunyamu. Anyway filachitika next time the relavant authority will buy something for these guys so that they become stronger.

  24. When they said that the officer was over powered, in-actual fact he was sodomized, Yes people… He was Rape by 5 men, thats is what they do in prison , but they never mentioned it. Can you imagine how he is feeling now, plus other officers can see him walking differently now, with a swollen back side, plus he was also beaten (swollen head) and is now gunless. What a looser

  25. When they said that the officer was over powered, in-actual fact he was sodomized, Yes people… He was penetrated by 5 big men , thats is what they do in prison , but they never mentioned it. Can you imagine how he is feeling now, plus other officers can see him walking differently now, with a swollen back side, plus he was also beaten (swollen head) and is now gunless. What a looser

  26. # 6 i agree with you, why do we always think of inside jobs when things go wrong in our country. I find it had to understand why the cop shot two of them if he was working with the same criminals. We should just be happy that the overpowered police officer was not shot dead. Police officers in Zambia work more than the cops in countries like Canada were most of the jobs the cops do here is just domestic violence calls! Our police officers work hard under pathetic conditions compared to cops in developed countries, whose risk allowances alone is as good as a cops pension in Zambia. Lets support our police force in Zambia and not just look down on them all the time. Let the government improve on the ratio and the such things will happen less. May God bless and protect the people of Solwezi.

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