By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

EIGHTY-TWO fishermen out of the 98 that were abducted on Sunday by Congolese soldiers in Nsumbu area in Nsama District, have been released.
More than 100 fishermen were abducted on Sunday around 02:00 hours while they were fishing in Lake Tanganyika in Nsumbu area in Northern Province.
The fishermen were about 16 in each of the nine boats when soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) surrounded them.
Fishermen in one boat escaped that same day, while 114 were taken to Mulito area in the DRC.
Northern Province Deputy Police Chief Alfred Nawa said eight of the fishermen that were taken to Mulito area were released on Tuesday when a joint team of defence and security officers went to negotiate for their release in the DRC.
“Some more fishermen were released today. 74 have been released and so 16 have remained,” Mr Nawa said.
He said there were 16 fishermen unaccounted for because two people from each boat were still in detention.
Mr Nawa said the fishermen did not commit any offence because they were found fishing on Lake Tanganyika on the Zambian side.
The soldiers merely wanted to be paid rasom as it was just a way to raise money.
Mr Nawa said the security team was still negotiating the release of the remaining fishermen.
Meanwhile, a 15-year-old Grade nine pupil of Mpulungu was arrested on Tuesday for being in possession of a leaked Religious Education (RE) examination paper.
Mr Nawa said the girl of Mpulungu Primary School was found by an invigilator with an RE paper while writing the same exam.
He said the paper was confiscated from the pupil and the girl was charged with examination mal practice.
She was later released to enable her complete her other examinations.