#ZOH #SNAPSHOT IN HISTORY : ESCAPE FROM MUKOBEKO – 5TH NOVEMBER, 1988 – PART FOUR [CHINDWIN HEIST]
By Eugene Makai
《*First posted on 26th March 2020》
With Tanzanian Muhammed Bin Tiz Mande gunned down and six feet under at the Kabwe Cemetery, ‘Operation Gooseneck’ turned its attention to the fugitive Zambian death row inmates.
Parallel with the manhunt, prison warders were held for questioning in what looked like an assisted prison break. Inmates of the Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison, believed to be the most secure facility in the country were also interrogated for leads that could help in the recapture of George Biemba, Simon Chalimika, Moses Kaonga, Stanley Kunda and Teddy Sinkala.
Without weapons, the fugitives figured that they would be sitting ducks for any police hot pursuit. As soon as they were out of confinement the seven men headed to nearby Chindwin military barracks. They overpowered an Army Sergeant and forced him to lead them to the Armoury. As luck would have it for them, the sentry on duty a private, was asleep, they promptly knocked him unconscious and broke the chain and lock that secured the firearms.
Their reward were four AK47 assault rifles, two full and two empty magazines and two pairs of military combat uniforms. Now, dangerously armed, they made for the Kabwe-Kapiri Mposhi road.
It was on the Kabwe-Kapiri Mposhi road that they encountered a police patrol and exchanged fire with it before disappearing into the bush under cover of darkness.
Muhammed Bin Tiz Mande then decided that he would make a break from here and try to get to Zaïre (DR Congo). His fate was sealed.
Fear continued to grip Kabwe and surrounding areas as rumour and innuendo filtered through the community. With news about the gunning down of Muhammed Bin Tiz Mande and a K500 bounty still out on the six other fugitives, Kabwe was tense.
Meanwhile, ‘Operation Gooseneck’ intensified with the taskforce team combing both the urban and rural confines of Kabwe district.
GEORGE BIEMBA – 36 years old, sentenced to death for murder by the Mongu High Court on 7th February, 1986. He had 7 previous convictions of office breaking, burglary and theft, store breaking and escape from lawful custody.
PART FIVE FOLLOWS…..