A 36 YEAR old man of Petauke District, Eastern Province has been arrested for murdering his 10 year old daughter and secretly burying her body in his backyard garden.
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Eastern Province Police commissioner Robertson Mweemba confirmed the incident to Kalemba.
He said after burying the child, the father started telling people that she had gone missing.
Mweemba said the incident occurred six days ago in Mwami Village, Chief Mwanjawanthu, Petauke District.
He disclosed that the suspect, Amon Phiri fatally beat up his daughter, Norith Phiri after she reportedly left home for two days without his consent.
According to police findings, Norith and her younger sister aged 8, had been living with their grandmother after their dad and mum divorced in 2023.
Their mother, identified as Idah Libimba later moved to Lusaka and left the children under the care of their grandmother who couldn’t adequately provide for the children.
This prompted the girls to go and live with their father and 29 year old stepmother Ruth.
“In 2023 when they got divorced, their mother left for Lusaka leaving the kids with their grandmother. Due to the fact that their grandmother couldn’t provide for their two children they went to their father’s place where they were living together with their step mother Ruth Lungu,” he narrated.
Investigations revealed that last Wednesday in the evening, Phiri, who had been searching for Norith after she was twice escorted back home by villagers, returned from the fields in anger and beat her with a stick until she was unable to speak.
The girl later asked for water, which her stepmother gave her but she eventually stopped breathing.
At that point, according to the police, Phiri threatened his wife with death if she disclosed the incident to anyone.
He then carried his daughter’s body about a kilometre away from their home and buried it in his garden before spreading word that the child had gone missing.
The matter came to light after an informer alerted police.
Upon interrogation, Phiri admitted the crime and led officers to the burial site and the body, which was in a semi decomposed state, was exhumed and later reburied as investigations continue.
Mweemba said the suspect is in police custody and is expected to appear in court soon.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, August 19, 2025
