SMALL BOYS REIGN TERROR
Written by Millennium on September 10, 2019
NOEL IYOMBWA writes
@SunZambia
RESIDENTS of Lusaka’s Zani Muone West are living in fear of a group of small boys turned thugs believed to be from nearby Lilanda Township who are terrorizing members of the community at both night and day.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo confirmed the presence of the small criminals to the Sun and said that three of the juveniles were arrested and were facing three different counts of theft but the complainants have withdrawn the cases due to the ages of the suspects.
Ms Katongo explained that that in one of the cases, parents of the juvenile suspects were told to pay for the damages they caused after carting away electric cables.
“Yes there were three reports at Kabangwe police post from different complaints about the three juveniles but in all the cases, complainants have withdrawn the case because of their tender ages, “she said.
On Wednesday residents apprehended three juveniles aged eight, 14 and 15 after they were found stealing electrical cables from unfinished building.
Speaking in an interview with the Sun, a concerned resident, Mr Oswald Phiri said people were living in fear as the boys believed to be coming from neighboring Lilanda Township moved in a group of 18 and steal from the neighborhood during the day and at night.
He said the criminals had been taking advantage of the police absence in the area by breaking in people’s homes.
Mr Phiri said that the only police post was at Kabangwe which was far from the area, adding that authorities should construct a police or start deploying officers in the area.
“Bafana aba bamaenda muka group bali 12 usiku nakuba muma yumba, so tiyopa nakuyenda usiku ndaba bakakupeza bachita attack manje pa Wednesday kuma 12.00 hours tinagwilako batatu nishibakuba ma cables yama light,ndiye mwamene benangu banataba but tinagwilako batatu”
(These boys move in a group of 12 at night breaking in people’s houses as residents we are scared of moving at night because they can attack you. On Wednesday around 12.00 hours we apprehended three of them after we found them trying to steal electric cables in unfinished house while others managed to escape)
Meanwhile Kabangwe police post confirmed detaining two juveniles while the third one was released for stealing cables on account that he was only eight years old.
