By PHELILE MWANDILA –
SEVEN bodies riddled with bullet wounds have been found dumped near a village in Nakonde District of Muchinga Province in unexplained circumstances.
The grisly find was discovered in the early hours of yesterday in the bush about 10 kilometres from Nakonde police station.
Police acting spokesperson Esther Katongo confirmed the discovery in an interview yesterday and said it was unclear who was behind the killings.
Ms Katongo said the seven bodied were dumped near Yolo Village between Mwenzo and a place referred to as TAZARA area by police officers.
She said the bodies, which were in the new Nakonde Hospital mortuary, were suspected to be of Tanzanian origin because no one in the surrounding villages could identify any of them.
The police spokesperson said the seven, all middle-aged men, could have been killed in Tanzania and later dumped on the Zambian side.
Ms Katongo’s assumptions was supported by an earlier report of a Tanzanian man who had also been attacked and shot by bandits from Tanzania before being dumped on the Zambian side of the border.
The bandits reportedly got away with the man’s 3.5 million Tanzanian shillings.
Ms Katongo said that particular victim, who survived the attack, was left unconscious near Cheula filling station, and he was certain his attackers had been his countrymen.
Ms Katongo said the man, whose name has not been disclosed, is currently admitted to New Nakonde Hospital.
She said police in Nakonde were collaborating with their Tanzanian counterparts in investigating the two incidents.