Cops reign terror

Sun, 02 Jul 2017 11:42:12 +0000

By PRINCE CHIBAWAH

A REIGN of terror waged by some unscrupulous police officers at Nyumba Yanga police post through intimidation, harassment, extortion and false imprisonment of residents has been unearthed.

The illicit activities, according to Daily Nation investigations, have been laid bare following an expose by some of victims of the illegal activities by police officers.

When contacted for a comment, Police command at Nyumba-Yanga Police post promised to investigate the matter because they said the development had potential to ruin the image of the Zambia Police Service.

In the investigations, it was established that some officers have been harassing and detaining innocent residents while demanding money from them.

The latest incident occurred on Tuesday night around 20:40 hours when three local residents were forcefully dragged from the car they were in which they had packed outside the house where two of the victims stay.

The victims were later taken to the police post where they were locked up in the cells because they could not pay the K 750 the officers demanded.

 “On the material day, I went to see my two female friends in the same area. When I reached there I parked my vehicle in front of the gate. Shortly my friends came outside and joined me in the car.”

“While we were seated inside the car, two armed police officers appeared. They were using a Toyota Spacio,” said Moses Tembo, one of the victims.

Mr Tembo said efforts to reason with the officers over the matter failed.

“We asked the officers to tell us the nature of the crime we had committed as the law demands but they refused to disclose what exactly we had done wrong. They just insisted that each of us pay them K 250. We couldn’t pay them there and then because we didn’t have cash with us.”

He explained that the officers became furious when they discovered that the victims did not have money to give them.

It was at this time when the officers ordered Mr Tembo to go and look for money elsewhere while the other victims were put in the cells.

When the female victims identified as Agnes Lombe and Yvonne Kalenga, continued to demand for explanation on their detention, the officers became even angrier and decided to pour a large quantity of cold water on them.

“After that they opened the tap and the room was filled with water. We kept on telling them that what they were doing was wrong and unlawful but it’s like we were irritating them. So they decided to throw a tear gas canister in the cells we were in,” said Ms Kalenga.

“At this time, I started crying because I couldn’t take it anymore.”

And Ms Lombe said that “we felt we were dying. The place was too cold, full of smoke and water.”

Meanwhile, Mr Tembo explained that the officers refused to take the K400 he had offered to pay insisting that the money was not enough to secure his release and that of his friends.  “I later went to my sister where I explained my situation. And she only managed to assist me with a K100. I continued to move up and down until I managed to raise required amount that’s when I together with the officers returned to the station.”