Police have made a major break through in their investigation of the gruesome killing of 19-year-old Ruth Mbandu in Lusaka’s Emmasdalearea in July this year. A man has been apprehended and confessed that he had administered a
lethal drug before pealing off the victim’s facial skin.
Ruth’s uncle, George Kalomo of Kabanana Township, Bishop Evans Ngulube and his driver, Stanley Munkonji, are other suspects that are currently in Police custody and have been charged with murder.
Lusaka Province Police chief Solomon Jere said in Lusaka yesterday that the suspect, who is 30-year-old, was apprehended on Tuesday this week in Mpika where he is reported to have committed “numerous” rape cases.
“We have arrested the man we have been looking for, he has confessed to killing Ruth and narrated how they removed her facial skin,” Dr Jere said.
Police now have a water-tight case in the four-month murder puzzle that has gone down in Zambia’s history as one of the worst on the late National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) human resource’s student.
Dr Jere said the suspect confessed that he and others hit Ruth with a sharp object on her head in addition to drugging her and when she became unconscious, they gouged out her eyes and removed other parts.
The suspect whose name has been withheld was apprehended in Mpika with four others who are facing rape cases.
“He narrated how she was drugged and how they removed her facial skin, ears and gouged out hereyes.
We also suspect that a sharp object was used to hit her and while she was unconscious, they performed their acts,” Dr Jere said.
Following the latest discovery, Police believe Ruth died as a result of excessive bleeding, as she had her facial skin, eyes and ears removed.
Police have withheld the suspect’s name for his own security but that the suspect, along with four others, was in Police custody.
Ruth’s naked body was discovered in the early hours of Saturday, July 14th, this year in Emmasdale.
“There are a number of people involved in this case and we want to give this matter a thorough investigation,” he said.
Job well done ba ZP
how i wish people would be thinking befor doing cetain things. now what do they get and what have they archieved
FINALLY, THE CULPRIT IS CAUGHT. MAKE SURE JUSTICE PREVAIL.
Another question is on what drugs were used on her, and where did they get them from? Where do they stay, who rents them the accommodation where they stay, and what have they been doing in their lives since their teenage years? All these questions must be answered so that these thugs are dealt with with a hammer for good.
Do the same to him and the others..period.
I have always been skeptical about the other suspects.
Evil people. No empathy! How can normal human beings do such things on another? Let them reveal more.
Evil people. No empathy! How can normal human beings do such things on another? Let them reveal more and then take appropriate action.
I agree with# 1. so many questions need to be answered. What role did the uncle play, y withhold the name killer who has confessed and is in jail ie protect him from what? He will still rot in jail before rotting in hell, what was the motive, is the suspect one of those who was released by the president.i rest my case for now
Congratulation POLICE and please keep it up and GOD bless you all Amen.
Praise the Lord, please let him tell you his accomplices and let the law take its course.
Congratulations to the police and all those that have been working hard in ensuring that the murderers are brought to book.
Bravoo the ZP
Justice shall surely prevail. An eye for eye.
THIS IS A VERY SAD STORY. PLEASE DO INVESTIGATIONS AS #2 SUGGESTS. HOW CAN PEOPLE BE SO TERRIBLE!!!
While I congratulate the police service for their work, I was taken aback by Dr Jere’s utterance on TV last evening where he said; quote “Why Ruth Mbandu and not another girl” end of quote. So if it was another girl it would be fine? No bwana Jere, retract your sentence please.
Chizungu boss,interpret statement in the context it’s being used.He was emphasising the motive behind and that it could have been just any other girl,why Ruth means,she had been targeted and was being followed systematically.In short,it wasn’t collateral damage.
WHAT YOU DO UNTO OTHERS SHALL BE DONE UNTO YOU/////
I wish death penalty was in force! For such evil action only death penalty is appropriate, not the life imprisonment thing!
No 13- I think his statement should not be misinterpreted to mean what he did not mean. To me the phrse quoted here meant that there is a special reason for killing Ruth. The police now have the details of all this. It is only that they cannot disclose now. Was it because the pastor made her pregnant? Did she know something which the killers did not want her to disclose, etc
Excellent work done so far
YOU CAN NEVER HIDE YOUR SINS FROM GOD ESPECIALLY IF YOU KILL A BEING CREATED IN GOD’S IMAGE.
MAY ALL THOSE WHO KILL OR ARE CONTEMPLATING KILLING OTHERS LEARN FROM THIS PIG WHO HAS BEEN ARRESTED.
GOD BLESS MOTHER ZAMBIA!
#13, don’t misunderstand the police, what they meant like #15 has rightly put it is, there was a motive and a target. There were so many ladies on the roads that day but why did they pick on Ruth? They could have done it on anyone but they just wanted Ruth and WHY? Not that if they did it on anyone it could have been okey. Police job well done. We are proud of you. Get to the bottom of this and bring on board alot more people, including those who lied that they called Ruth when they did not and how did they know the time she died?
Kill the fikala’s
Good work bane
am a bit lost here,who killed the girl? what is the connection between the uncle,the pastor and the guy from mpika whose name have been withheld?…who hired who?
Really hope the got the correct fellows…terrible happenings…
they shall burn in hell with their boss satan
atase ifyabupuba. How long has it taken ZP to get the muderers? our ZP is Rotten!!!!!!!!
Some cases that we watch on channels such as BBC Crime (hope you have dstv) take even longer to be solved by what a person like you will likely call “advanced police systems” like those in UK, blah blah blah. At times up to 20 years. Some cases are not even solved. So for you to come up and say ZP is rotten, i wonder. SHAME ON YOU. Leave the ZP alone and let them do what they do. Good work so far ZP!
zambians no 26 you are sick. they r working. you want them to hav o the information in one day? be serious. let them take time and hav correct information. watch your statement
But why killing her in such a way? What did she do to deserve such a death, am sure the uncle, her mum and the pastor has something to do with this? Was she pregnanted by the uncle or what? I fail to understand this. God help us, surely can something hire you to kill a fellow human being for money, how much money were you paid, you never even enjoyed that money co’s you are not free.
What about the Pastor, Uncle, Mother, Driver, etc who were arrested earlier? Are they the sponsors? If not, that will be sad; to implicate and cite people who are completely out of the picture! I think the procedure for arresting should be revised to avoid such embarassement and possible legal suits. Or the suspects have hired the culprit to make such a confession and die instead of them, since he is already a ‘dead’ man walking with so many machimos – conspiracy theory?????????????
Thank God the’ve finally arrested the !diots
Am sure there are must be a connection with the uncle.maybe they are the ones who hired the man to kill but what were the eyes,ears and the skin for?thats were the question is.ha stanely mukonje am very disappointed is this all money can do?he agreed to drive the body and throw it away iyeeee hope not.what ever it is let justice prevail i wish they could do the same to them and why protect the killer’s identity?
indeed his name withheld due to security reasons while he is in custody? I cant understand.
Welldone ZP and please find the source.
where are the missing parts? where are they keeping them in a bottle/ cup? are they used as lotion? how have they preseved the missing remains of mbandu?? who is keeping them? what is the concoction called? is it sold to ignorant pipo who want to become rich? who does the conconction? where did he find the remedy? how best does it work? how many pipo have used this same remedy?
twebeni ishana tumwishibe! What security r u givn hm that u dd nt gv Ruth?
#24. Your comment is a disgrace!! Some cases that we watch on channels such as BBC Crime (hope you have dstv) take even longer to be solved by what a person like you will likely call “advanced police systems” like those in UK, blah blah blah. At times up to 20 years. Some cases are not even solved. So for you to come up and say ZP is rotten, i wonder. SHAME ON YOU. Leave the ZP alone and let them do what they do. Good work so far ZP!
Chipayeni!
before ukucipaya…..baciputuleko aka bwamba notumatwi !!!!
An Innocent lady Killed. her pretty life cut short. she could have graduated, she could have found a JOB, she could have had a family and be happy, she could have raised good law abiding children, she could have helped her parents in life…….
God recieve the soul of RUTH on your throne.
she died a violent death on top of being raped!!!!!!!
My God this xtian Nation Declaration is NOT working. We need deliverance as a country.
Well done Zambia Police for this arrest! You have pursued these monister murderers relentlessly since the murder occured. You are great patriots, keep it up! Iwee chi # 24 Zambians forget easily, you are the one who has a memory of microcebus murinus! You foolish ingrate, don’t you know that Zambia Police has no forensic laboratory and have to depend on labs outside the country to have certain case details? Ubututu, even in the most civilised countries like the USA, some gruesome murders go cold for very long periods. Zambia Police works under very difficult conditions and as far as this case is concerned, they have done us proud! By the way # 24, what do you do in your miserable little life?
Let the trial begin bwangu.
DR JERE. Meant that Ruth was the target for reasons best knwon to her pathetic evil family. Thank God the main piece of da puzzle is behind bars. We are asking the police to give us those murderors ,so that we skin them just like they did to our dear sister. Linja zabatu zeo.
ki minungu ya linja
May de gud lord grant wisdom to de judges 4 a beta and stiff punishment 4 de culprits
# 35, it’s #26 who commented like that. Actually, I commend ZP for the job well done. I actually thought the culprit will not be found becoz it takes years in order to find killers. # 26, your statement should really be withdrawn.
Ba ZP, please make sure the people who hired that killer are found. That is another break through. the withholding of the name is necessary, until they get the names of all those involved…We should learn to be patient and let people do their work.
the major culprit is still at large,these r jus hitmen but gud job ba zp
Zambia Police are really hard working. How I wish their perks and logistics could be improved. One thing I respect ZP for, is that where there is loss of human life and violent offenses against women and children, they really apply themselves.
Now lets also computerize our criminal system complete with a data base on all offenders.
Thanks ZP and job well done!
‘Bravo’ ZP
Good news indeed. We thank you ZP and make sure all involved are arrested and punished.
Police and legal justice in Zambia still have a long way to go….but I feel that this is a very good step in the right direction…thank you ba ZP
Hi, just wanted to say i liked this article.