11/04/2026
POLICE SHOOT DEAD FIVE SUSPECTED CRIMINALS IN LUSAKA AFTER VIOLENT CONFRONTATION
By: Melinda Banda
Police in Lusaka have shot and killed five suspected criminals in Kalikiliki Compound following a confrontation linked to aggravated robbery and murder.
Two of the suspects were identified as Joseph Zulu, alias “Zed Commander,” and Joseph Lupo, alias “Jay Code.” The other three remain unidentified.
Police spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi disclosed that the incident occurred on April 9, 2026, after Kalikiliki Police Post received a tip-off from a citizen that the suspects were armed with offensive weapons, including pangas.
A team led by Inspector Mutemwa Mweemda, comprising three police officers and three Community Crime Prevention Unit (CCPU) members, moved into the area and managed to apprehend two suspects, recovering machetes.
However, three others fled.
While escorting the apprehended suspects, the officers were attacked by accomplices, resulting in the escape of the suspects. Inspector Mweemda sustained a fractured left leg, while a CCPU officer suffered minor injuries during the attack.
Later the same day, police received information that the suspects had regrouped in Chibolya Compound.
A joint team of Anti-Robbery officers and Mtendere Police Station officers was deployed. Upon arrival, the suspects confronted the officers with pangas, iron bars, and other weapons.
In response, officers discharged fi****ms to restore public order and effect lawful arrests. The five suspects sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
Weapons recovered from the scene included pangas, iron bars, and an axe.
