NOEL IYOMBWA Writes
SCORES of people from Lusaka’s Kabanana Township on Monday night descended on the area’s Chipwalo Police Post and threatened to break it down if the officers did not avail them murder suspect, Watson Ng’ambi, whom they believed was detained there.
The unruly residents demanded that the police immediately release Ng’ambi to them so that they could mete instant mob justice on him but the officers’ decisive action to transfer the suspect to Emmasdale Police Station saved the situation.
An eye witness, Michael Kalaba, narrated to the Sun Newspaper yesterday that the residents besieged the police post after word went round that Ngambi, who recently hacked his wife to death and hid her body in a black polythene plastic under the matrimonial bed, had been arrested and was detained there.
Ng’ambi, 52, a resident of Kabanana Township, was on Sunday evening apprehended by people at 15 Miles area, in Chibombo District, where he had gone to hide after brutally killing his 41-year old wife with an axe and a machete.
The suspect is reported to have phoned his elder brother to tell him about the murder and to also seek his help in disposing off his wife, Agness Chabala’s body.
According to police, the incident reportedly happened on April 19 but was only reported to Chipwalo Police Post on ….. by Ng’ambi’s relatives after his phone call.
Police Spokesperson Esther Mwata Katongo said that the suspect decided to call his brother for help because his wife’s relatives were bothering him about her whereabouts.
Ms Katongo said that Ng’ambi’s relatives told police that he had informed them that his wife’s body was still in his house.
“Officers followed up the report and forced open the door to the house which was found locked and after a search, they found the body of the deceased in the bedroom under the bed wrapped in black polythene plastic,” she said.
“Physical inspection on the body revealed that the body was naked with a broken left leg and was in a decomposed state. A machete and an axe, stained with blood, were found at the scene and are suspected to have been used in the act,” Ms Katongo said.
She explained that Ng’ambi had been lying to his wife’s relatives that she had travelled to Luapula province.
“He was apprehended today July 7, 2019 at 17:09 hours and surrendered to Police. He is currently detained in Police custody awaiting to be charged with murder.
“We thank members of the public for their alertness and quick response. Policing is a collective responsibility hence members of the public should continue collaborating with the police in the fight against crime,” Ms Katongo said.
