A Zambian police officer faces arrest and disciplinary action after allegedly releasing 13 detainees from custody on New Year's Eve to allow them to celebrate the holiday.
Detective Inspector Titus Phiri, described as “intoxicated”, reportedly took the keys to Constable Serah Banda's cell at Leonard Cheelo Police Station in Lusaka.
According to police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, Phiri opened the male and female cells and ordered the detainees to leave and “cross over to the new year.”
The suspects, who were being held on serious charges including assault, robbery and robbery, are now at large. A manhunt has been launched to capture them.
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Of the 15 detainees who were in custody at that time, 13 escaped, while the agent himself fled the scene after releasing them.
The incident has sparked widespread reactions, with some drawing parallels with a similar event that occurred in 1997.
Former presidential spokesperson and lawyer Dickson Jere commented on Facebook, calling the situation “comical” but recalling the time when the late Justice Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 detainees, citing the injustice of their prolonged detention without trial.
Authorities have assured the public that they are taking the matter seriously and that investigations are underway to locate the escaped suspects and hold Detective Phiri accountable.