Stop being nice to criminals, police told
THE police in Luapula province should stop fighting criminals with kids’ gloves because their inertia is now a menace on the safety of the people, Change Life Zambia (CLZ) leader John Kasongo has charged. Mr Kasongo observed that the people of Luapula province were no longer protected because of the lassie- faire attitude of law enforcement officers in the area. He was reacting to revelations that the family of the 13 year old boy who was arrested in connection with ritual attacks on James Mubanga of Chipili a month ago, was now in hiding after criminals set their house ablaze and the police was not doing much to bring the culprits to book. Mr Kasongo also observed that the province was now hit with lawless despite the police being well represented in the area. He charged that the police in Luapula should stop fighting criminals with kids’ gloves and allowing them to break the law with impunity. “Its a clear sign that the people of Luapula are not protected. It’s as if there is no police presence in that area. We have received a lot of reports and we are now worried about the safety of our people. This inertia by the police should stop, they are the ones who are supposed to protect people but its like they are treating criminals with kids’ gloves,” he said. The 13 year old boy’s uncle, Emmanuel Mulumba confirmed to the Daily Nation that his young brother’s house was burnt to ashes around 01: 00 when the family was sleeping. Mr Mulumba however said that the family, which included the mother and five children managed to escape unhurt. He said that the police were called in but only came to take pictures of the razed house and have not been in contact with the family since. Mr Mulunda said that the family was now living in fear and squatting in a very small house, whose location he could not reveal for fear of putting the family in danger. “They are scared that these people might come back for them. They are just squatting in a very small house somewhere,” he said. He explained that unknown people, who came in a car, poured petrol all over his young brother’s house and set it on fire before speeding off. And the father to the boy, Henry Chikonde had told the Daily Nation early last month that his son was a victim of circumstances as he was a star witness in a case involving the attempted assassination of Mr James Mubanga, the man who almost lost his manhood when suspected ritual killers pounded on him in Chipili over a month ago. Mr Chikonde had explained that his son, who is in grade 7, was passing through the Kawambwa/ Luwingu road junction in Munanga area on July, 9 2018 at the time suspected ritualists attempted to kill Mr Mubanga. The boy has since appeared in court and been remanded in a correctional facility.