NOEL IYOMBWA writes
TWO alert security guards yesterday foiled a car robbery and apprehended the suspect after a dramatic chase at the University of Zambia (UNZA) Great East Road campus.
The drama was escalated with the C5, the anti-robbery unit of the Police, showing up in no time after they were alerted by the guards at the university.
According to Amos Mutale, who works for Arm Safety Security, the morning incident happened just after their parade when the guards were going to their respective duty locations.
Mutale, who was found at the entrance of the university, told the Lusaka Sun that, his workmate, Edwin Alubwanji had noticed a suspicious car near the car park at the Department of Biology.
According to Mutale, the attempted robbery was foiled because of his alert friend, who had noticed that occupants of the strange vehicle, who pretended to be students, appeared to be taking unusual interest in car park B.
Mutale said around 07: 00 hours, after parade, he received a phone call from a fellow security officer that there were two people suspicious looking people in a Toyota Allion at car park B.
Mutale told his friend that maybe they were the owners of one of the cars there. But his friend again called him, as he walked back to the entrance, and told him that one person had disembarked from the suspicious looking car.
This forced Mutale to turn back towards the car park, stood at a distance with Edwin, and watched the suspect as he tried to open the door of one car but did not manage.
Mutale and his friend watched in horror as the suspect decided to break the car’s rear window using a bunch of special master keys and opened the door. The suspect then allegedly removed two books from the back of the car and threw them away.
At this point, the two guards ran towards the suspect, who ran for his life upon realizing that he had company.
He was however not fast enough and the guards soon caught up with him and pinned him to the ground.
Police C5 were alerted and came to pick the man. His accomplice abandoned the Allion and took off on foot.
Mutale said the suspect was likely not Zambian because he was speaking a language the guards could not understand.
And Police spokesperson Esther Katongo confirmed that one person was apprehended from the UNZA main campus yesterday but that three others escaped.
Mutale (The guard)
She said that the police arrested a Zimbabwean national for attempting to steal a motor vehicle Toyota Belta at University of Zambia (UNZA) main campus car park in Lusaka.
Ms. Katongo however said a manhunt has been launched and investigations have continued into the matter.
“Yes one person was apprehended from UNZA while three others managed to escape and a manhunt has since been launched, while investigations have also continued. We will give you an update once the investigations are done,” said Ms. Katongo.