Nchelenge Jailbreak Leaves Policeman Dead as 14 Criminals Escape

⬆️ NEWS DAY | Nchelenge Jailbreak Leaves Policeman Dead as 14 Criminals Escape

It began before dawn. Between 04:00 and 05:00 hours on October 25, the quiet around Nchelenge Police Station in Luapula Province broke into a scene of horror. Sergeant Frank Phiri, a police officer on night duty, was found lying in a pool of blood. His fellow officer, returning from an operational beat, stumbled upon the scene.

Phiri was rushed to St. Paul’s Mission Hospital, but it was too late. He died from severe head injuries.

When officers inspected the holding cells, the discovery deepened the shock. The door was wide open. Fourteen suspects had escaped. Three motorcycles, which had been kept as exhibits, were also gone.

By morning, Nchelenge had turned into a crime scene. Police reinforcements moved in, sealing off routes and combing nearby settlements. The command in Luapula intensified patrols, setting up checkpoints across the district.

So far, three suspects have been recaptured — Honest Chuntu (theft), Samson Katandala (assault), and Sydney Namwango (conduct likely to cause a breach of peace). The others, eleven in total, remain at large. Among them are two facing murder charges — Daniel Chisala and Patrick Kabulo. Others face charges including defilement, housebreaking, and theft of a motorbike.

Police sources say the escape was not random. Early indications suggest a coordinated act carried out while Sergeant Phiri was alone on duty. How the cell was opened, and whether the attackers were aided from inside or outside, are now key lines of inquiry.

The Zambia Police Service has described the incident as a grave breach of security and a personal loss to the force.

“We mourn with the family and colleagues of Sergeant Phiri,” said Deputy Public Relations Officer Godfrey Chilabi in a statement.

“We urge the public to assist with any information that can lead to the re-arrest of the remaining fugitives.”

As the investigation deepens, questions hang heavy over the circumstances of Phiri’s death and the apparent ease with which the suspects broke free. In Nchelenge, fear and grief walk together. The people want answers.

For now, the hunt continues. What happened in those early hours at Nchelenge Police Station has exposed not just a crime but a deep vulnerability in the country’s policing system.

Sergeant Phiri’s body lies at St. Paul’s Mission Hospital Mortuary, awaiting postmortem. His death, and the escape that followed, have turned a routine night shift into one of the darkest chapters in Luapula’s policing history.

© The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu