DON’T START ARMAGEDDON, WARNS VEEP

By SILUMESI MALUMO
WE hope the abduction of police officers in Mpika is not the beginning of armageddon which has been talked about, Vice President Inonge Wina has said.
Ms Wina said the hooligans who abducted and attacked the police officers and innocent people would be followed.
Speaking during the Vice-President’s question time. In parliament, Ms Wina said the hooligans involved were well known UPND cadres and some were leaders of the party.
“The abduction of the police officers is very regrettable. Mr Speaker, it is very regrettable that things like this can happen in our country and maybe this is the beginning of the stage of turbulence that we have heard about.
“The police officers were guarding the area when a convoy passed by showing slogans of their party and the people who were standing on the road side who did not respond were beaten by this group of hooligans driving in a convoy.
Ms Wina lamented that two police officers were injured and their ammunition snatched from their guns and some of them were in hospital.
“If we start to be unruly before we even go into the 2021 at election time, I don’t know how the situation will be like. And I want to urge our police officers that they should not condone any lawlessness,” she said.
Ms Wina said: “I hope this is not a beginning of Armageddon that we hear about.”
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo said the call by the Vice-President to pursue the criminals was timely.
He told the house yesterday that the police would ensure that all those who were involved were apprehended.