A Zambian police officer is facing arrest and disciplinary action after allegedly freeing 13 detainees from custody on New Year’s Eve to allow them to celebrate the holiday.
Detective Inspector Titus Phiri, described as being “intoxicated,” reportedly took the cell keys from Constable Serah Banda at Leonard Cheelo Police Station in Lusaka
According to police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, Phiri unlocked both male and female cells, instructing the detainees to leave and “cross over into the new year.”
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The suspects, who were being held on serious charges including assault, robbery, and burglary, are now on the run. A manhunt has been launched to apprehend them.
Of the 15 detainees in custody at the time, 13 escaped, while the officer himself fled the scene after releasing them.
The incident has sparked widespread reactions, with some drawing parallels to a similar occurrence in 1997.
Former presidential spokesperson and lawyer Dickson Jere commented on Facebook, calling the situation “comical” but recalling the time when the late Judge Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 detainees, citing the injustice of their prolonged detention without trial.
Authorities have assured the public that they are taking the matter seriously, with investigations underway to locate the escaped suspects and hold Detective Phiri accountable.
