Police clarify Nchelenge naked man incidence

Esther Mwata Katondo

The Zambia Police has clarified the incidence of a man found naked in Nchelenge in a video that has gone viral.

Police Service Spokesperson Esther Mwata Katongo has made the clarification in a press statement below:

16TH DECEMBER, 2018 – There is a video circulating in which a naked man is seen being harassed on suspicion that he had crashed down in the process of practicing witchcraft and also police officers are seen in the same video with a police motor vehicle labelled Nchelenge Police.

The facts of the matter are that the naked man in the video was discovered in his naked state by Zambia Army Officers at their Marine camp in the area in the early hours of Tuesday, 11th December, 2018 at about 03 00 hours and this brought about suspicions of witchcraft. Police Officers were called in to pick the man in question who was found already tied to a tree.

However, the truth of the matter is that the man in question is a known mental patient in the area and he is not a wizard as insinuated in the video.

The Zambia Police through the Office of Commissioner of Police for Luapula Province is looking into the conduct of Police Officers at the scene and appropriate action will be taken because it was within the mandate of our officers to quickly rescue the man and take him to safety irrespective of the reason of him being found naked.

ESTHER MWAATA KATONGO
ZAMBIA POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER