By ESTHER NG’ANDU and JAMES KUNDA
A MOB in Chililabombwe has killed a 46-year-old man who went to answer the call of nature in a maize field and was mistaken for  a thief.
The mob pounced on the man around 21:00 hours on Tuesday kicking, hitting him with fists and stones.
The deceased, identified by police as Francis Musenge of Kakoso township, briefly managed to escape from his ruthless assailants and sought refuge at a nearby police post.
However, the mob pursued him and with the police outnumbered, continued their assault on the man, damaging the police post and injuring an officer who tried to stop them.

KATANGA

Copperbelt Police Commissioner, Charity Katanga, confirmed the incident in an interview yesterday saying the mob shattered windows at the police station and injured a police officer, who lost two of
his teeth.
“I can confirm that there was a man who went into a maize field to help himself, but in the process, he was beaten by a mob who were screaming that he went to steal and not help himself,”she said.
Ms Katanga said after briefly escaping his attackers and getting to the police post, the man told the officers he had no idea why he was being attacked and that he could not identify any of his attackers. Police issued a report and Mr Musenge, was taken to the hospital where he later died. Although he had no visible injuries, he had indicated that he had been beaten using sticks, among other objects,” she said.
Ms Kantanga said the matter would be thoroughly investigated.
Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Elias Kamanga expressed shock over the incident.
He warned the public not to take the law in their own hands, saying they should allow the law to take its course.
Meanwhile, a man suspected to have stabbed another man to death in Lusaka has been arrested by police in Serenje District, Central Province.
Rendod Chenda, 18, was apprehended on Tuesday in Kasunkwa Village where he ran to after allegedly killing Gift Daka, 24, of Lusaka’s John Laing Township on Wednesday last week.
Police spokesperson Esther Katongo said in a statement yesterday that Mr Chenda, who was arrested by the officers working in collaboration with members of Chief Muchinka’s community, was in custody at Serenje Police Station.
Ms Katongo said Mr Daka, who was operating from Twashuka taxi rank in Kanyama, was found dead in his white motor vehicle, registration number ABX 2321.
“The incident happened at Mwaonwa area in Old Kanyama and the deceased was found with deep wounds in the stomach and chest area. A blood-stained knife was also found in the car,” Ms Katongo said.
She warned people fond of perpetrating crime that police would not relent in bringing them to book even if they “deceived’ themselves by thinking that they could escape the law.