Abductors targeted nursing students and mobile money agents – Zambia police say

Abductors of the 13 recently-rescued young ladies in Lusaka targeted nursing students and mobile money agents investigations have revealed.

What is even more bizarre is most of the victims went to the same school as the abductors who were headboy and deputy headboy respectively.

While using that familiarity as a magnetic field to pull in their agenda, the suspects lured the girls into a trap which will take time for them to recover following a horrific experience with high possibility of rape and abuse.

It was discovered that James Bwalya and Charles Sikaonga, both 22 year-olds were in the same secondary school with some of the victims in Kabwe.

During a press briefing yesterday, minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Jack Mwiimbu disclosed that Police had arrested five people so far in connection with the abduction cases.

Among the suspects include James Bwalya and Charles Sikaonga whose photos on wanted posters were released by Police after they fled the crime scene following the uncovering of their atrocities but were eventually caught in Nkeyema district in Western Province through the help of the public.

It was earlier suspected that the abductors had killed and buried one person within the yard which they used to hold the young females.

However, Mwiimbu revealed according to information gathered by police thus far, there was no dead body found at the premises where the ladies were held captive.

The minister appealed to members of the public to be calm and join forces with the police service in the fighting against crime.

He identified four female mobile money agents Faith Muluti aged 28, Pamela Chisumpa aged 21, Paxina Chanda aged 22, and Macwani Nalukui aged 21 were abducted while the nine were kidnaped between August 15th and September 20th.

Mwiimbu narrated that the first victim was Muluti who had been abducted by two men in makeni Simson area where her abductors impersonated police officers who were trying to trace a stolen phone.

In Chisumpa’s case, she was approached by Bwalya a former classmate around 14:00 hours on April 13 and in the process she was abducted.

The next victim was Paxina Chanda on May 14, who was abducted whilst working at her booth situated along Lumumba Road by Bwalya who was also a former classmate.

And the fourth mobile money agent victim Macwani Nalukui was taken by abductors in June whilst operating at her booth along Lumumba road she was approached by a person she identified as Jordan – a usual customer at her booth.

Other victims included nursing students from a Gideon Nursing School in Chilanga district.

Priscilla Mapulanga aged 23 years old who was abducted by her former classmate and suspect, Bwalya.

The other six students from the same school including Onesta Lungu aged 25, Grace Siabeula aged 22, Ruth Banda aged 21, two juveniles aged 17, abducted Agness Kapwaya aged 22 abducted and Chungwe, 24, were abducted on different dates between August 15 to September 20.

By Moses Makwaya

Kalemba October 6, 2022