‘UNDER-FIVE’ GANG EMERGES
DESPITEmany efforts to address youth gangs in Kitwe, it has emerged that the number of criminal groups is slowly increasing in different communities.
A new ing itself criminal gang callthe Under-Five has emerged in Mindolo North Township where people are living in fear.
The criminal gang has been terrorising residents especially in the evening as some had reported that they had lost valuable items at the hands of the rampaging youths.
According to the residents, the gang was causing havoc as they were beating up people and engaging in all sorts of anti-social vices.
But Police have warned that they will not tolerate any forms of violence in the city.
Inspector General of Police, Kakoma Kanganja, has since directed the Copperbelt police command to curb the vice before it gets out of hand.
Speaking to the Daily Nation in separate interviews, the residents said it was worrying that the group had been forcing young ones to join or risk being beaten up.
"Life has become hard for us here, we fear for the lives of our children who are now joining in fear of being beaten or scorched to death.
"We have tried to talk to the members of the said group many times to stop involving our children or they will be taken to the police, but to no avail," one of the residents, Ms Marcy Mulenga said.
Ms Mulenga complained that despite threatening the gang with the police, the group said police stations were like clinics for them as they would be out after a day or two.
She wondered where the gangs were getting the confidence of daring the police.
Another resident, Mr Mathew Mwamba, said that he was fearing for his children's lives who were in the age range that the gang wanted.
Mr Mwamba said that the children were no longer free to move about in the area both during the day and during night time.
He added that the residents too were at risk of being attacked by the merciless members of the Under Five group.