A bizarre incident unfolded in Lusaka, Zambia, as a drunken police officer, Detective Inspector Titus Phiri, reportedly freed 13 suspects from custody on New Year’s Eve, enabling them to celebrate the arrival of 2025. The dramatic episode occurred at Leonard Cheelo Police Station and has since sparked both shock and amusement across the country.
Police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga detailed the incident, explaining that Detective Inspector Phiri, under the influence of alcohol, forcibly took the cell keys from Constable Serah Banda. In an unexpected move, he unlocked both male and female cells, instructing the detainees that they were “free to cross over into the new year.”
Out of 15 suspects held in custody, 13 managed to escape. Their alleged crimes included assault, robbery, and burglary. Following the audacious act, Mr. Phiri fled the scene, leaving his colleagues scrambling to manage the fallout. A manhunt has been launched to recapture the escapees and locate the errant officer.
The unusual nature of the event has elicited a range of reactions from Zambians, with some expressing outrage and others finding humor in the bizarre circumstances. Former presidential spokesperson and lawyer Dickson Jere commented on Facebook, “I keep laughing each time I picture the scenario – comical! But then, I remembered a similar incident in 1997.”
Mr. Jere’s reference was to an infamous New Year’s Eve incident when the late High Court Judge Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 detainees who had been in custody since 1992 without trial. While Judge Chanda’s actions were driven by frustrations with judicial delays, the current scenario differs, as it appears to have been fueled by intoxication and irresponsibility rather than judicial activism.
This incident highlights ongoing challenges within Zambia’s justice system, including the handling of detainees and lapses in accountability among law enforcement officials. It also underscores the need for reforms to prevent such occurrences in the future.
While the manhunt continues for both the escapees and Detective Inspector Phiri, the episode has left an indelible mark on the nation’s collective memory. For some, it will serve as a reminder of the seriousness of police duty, while for others, it will remain an oddly humorous anecdote of a New Year gone wrong.