In a bizarre turn of events, a drunken Zambian police officer, Detective Inspector Titus Phiri, has been arrested after allegedly freeing 13 suspects from custody on New Year’s Eve so they could “cross over into the new year.”
The incident occurred at Leonard Cheelo Police Station in Lusaka, where Phiri reportedly seized cell keys from Constable Serah Banda while intoxicated.
According to police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga, Phiri unlocked both male and female cells, instructing the suspects—accused of crimes including assault, robbery, and burglary—to leave.
Out of the 15 suspects in custody, 13 escaped, and Phiri fled the station shortly after. A manhunt has since been launched to recapture the escapees.
While Phiri has not commented on the allegations, the incident has sparked public reactions. Lawyer and former presidential spokesperson Dickson Jere humorously compared it to a similar case in 1997, when the late High Court Judge Kabazo Chanda ordered the release of 53 detainees, citing prolonged delays in their court appearances.
Authorities are now working to track down both the escaped suspects and fully investigate Phiri’s actions.
