AFTER putting the whole nation on hold with worry while others depleted their So che bundles sharing posts to look for a teenager who went missing, it has been revealed by police that young lady recently reported to have been abducted had actually gone to spend some romantic nights with her student boyfriend.
Tumiya Nachivula, aged 19 was allegedly abducted, according to her elder sister, Monica Makasa on Friday morning following her sudden disappearance on the same day around 09:00 hours.
Worried about the young sister’s safety, Makasa took her worry to Facebook where she posted a missing person post that was heavily shared by people, after she reported the matter to Chilenje Police Station.
Netizens even kept the adolescent in their prayers, hoping she was safe following a number of cases that ended tragically as it was believed that she was abducted.
Following the report, police working with The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA) immediately moved in with intense investigations, utilising all the satellites in the country just to locate the young lady.
ZICTA who put up it’s best tech men managed to track the believed location of the alleged abductee to Chongwe District.
However, attempts to trace her in the area proved unsuccessful due to her phone being switched off.
But luck was on the side of the police and ZICTA as the alleged abductee did not intend to be in hiding for long.
Yesterday, around 22:00 hours, Nachivula returned to her father’s residence in Chilenje like the biblical prodigal son and immediately, the worried family rushed to take her to the Police Station were her abduction report was made.
Police Spokesperson Rae Hamoonga confirmed the incident.
He said Nachivula was taken into questioning were she gave details of her abduction.
Hamoonga said Nachivula told police that she was never abducted but instead, she willingly left to meet her boyfriend, Joel Saili, aged 20, of Libala South who is a student at Chalimbana University living in a rented boarding house near the university in Chongwe.
After listening to her honesty, police detained both her and her boyfriend who are currently in police custody waiting to be formally charged.
“The Zambia Police would like to issue a stern warning to individuals who may want to engage in similar activities under false pretenses. Falsely claiming abduction not only wastes valuable police resources but also causes unnecessary panic among the public.”
“These actions are taken seriously, and anyone found to be deliberately misleading the police will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We urge all citizens to act responsibly and report only genuine cases to the Police,” said Hamoonga.
He added that the public is reminded that the Zambia Police Service remains committed to protecting the safety and security of all citizens, and any abuse of this trust will not be tolerated.
By Buumba Mwitumwa
Kalemba October 8, 2024
