LUSAKA has continued recording cases of gassing just as mobs have continued killing suspects.
Police say three people including a woman were killed by mobs yesterday bringing the total number of people killed this week to nine.
Esther Mwwata Katongo, the Zambia Police spokesperson said two cases of gassing took place between 01:00 hours and 02:00 hours in Chipata Compound in Lusaka in which two households were sprayed with a chemical substance.
She said in both circumstances, criminals were reported to have gotten to the rooftops of the houses, lifted iron sheets and sprayed the chemical inside houses after which victims where reported to have become unconscious and rushed to Chipata level 1 hospital for medical attention.
Katongo said Kanyama Compound also recorded case in the early hours of today, around 02:00 hours in Makeni Simsom area and four occupants were chocked.
When the victims called for help, people in the neighbourhood woke up and spotted a minibus parked and immediately sped away. People followed it and managed to block it and on board were two occupants and a 5 liter container containing a bluish substance was found on the motor vehicle with four empty plastic bottles,” Katongo told #Kalemba in a statement.
“People surrendered the suspects to police and did not cause any damage to the motor vehicle. The suspects are in police custody while the chemical substance will be taken for analysis,” she added.
Katongo also revealed that Jack Compound , a mob damaged a motor vehicle which was found parked along the road with two occupants.
“However, it was established after investigations that the motor vehicle in question had run out of fuel hence the occupants were victims of circumstance. They were rescued by police who rushed to the scene and escaped with minor injuries,” Katongo explained.
“In Kanyama’s Kanono area, a female adult was stoned to death by a mob around 22:00 hours on suspicion of chemical spraying. The body is in UTH mortuary.
“Just from 16:00 hours yesterday, 14th February, 2020, three people have so far been killed in Lusaka by mobs on mare suspicion bringing the total number of victims of mob justice who have died to nine,”
Katongo said yesterday around 16:00 hours in Lusaka’s Chipwalu near Chazanga compound, a mob killed a male adult and seriously injured eight others on suspicion that they were behind chemical spraying. The survivors are receiving treatment while the body is in UTH mortuary.
The mob also went to Chipwalu Police Post in an attempt to set the police post on fire but were repelled by officers.
In Matero’s Kasupe area in Konkwa village, a male adult aged between 20 and 25 years was murdered by a mob and was found with both hands and legs tied. The body is in UTH.
She said police had instituted investigations in all the reports of murder involving mobs and all those that would be found to have taken part in any of these cases including those of damaging both private and public property will be arrested and prosecuted.
