Police in Zambia has exhumed 3 out of the 9 bodies buried in shallow graves around the Mukobeko Prison Farms by two suspected serial killer inmates.
The nine victims all female are believed to have been murdered by Convicts Joseph Chiteta 53 and Miles Malaya currently serving jail sentences at Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility and Medium Correctional Facility respectively for various offences among them Aggravated Robbery.
According to Central Province Commissioner of Police Chola Katanga the victims were all raped before being killed and buried in shallow graves.
Commissioner Katanga disclosed that Joseph Chiteka who escaped lawful custody on April 07 2021 was apprehended on the Copperbelt after committing a string of other offences and that he has since been moved to Kabwe Central Police where he joins his accomplice Miles Malaya who was fished from Mukobeko Medium Correctional Facility to help with investigations.
The Central Province Police Chief has also disclosed that preliminary investigations review that the victims who are believed to have relatives serving jail sentences at the said Correctional facilities were asked by Chiteta and Miles to come through to Kabwe’s Mukobeko Maximum and Medium Correctional Facilities all in a bid to negotiate for their relatives possible release on Parole.
Commissioner Katanga has also said Police have opened another inquiry into how Chiteta and Miles were able to have contacts for the victims while in Prisons despite the victims coming from Copperbelt, Lusaka and Western Provinces.
Despite the bodies being in decomposed state and unrecognizable, Commissioner Katanga is hopeful that all the bodies will be exhumed as the suspects are cooperative in leading the Police to the different graves dotted around the Prison Farms.
Commissioner Katanga who disclosed that all these murders happened between February and April 2021 in Kabwe’s Mukobeko area, has further advised members of the public against falling prey to such traps by criminal elements, adding that there is need for the public to exercise maximum caution especially when meeting strangers.
