Grief and fear has gripped residents of Lusaka’s Vorna Valley Meanwood area in neighboring Zambia following a spate of suspected ritual killings which have persisted following the murder of a 28-year old woman whose decomposing body was only found a few metres away from the main road on Friday night.

The residents could not watch the body of Eunice Nkhata which was ripped on the stomach with a tongue seemingly chopped off in bizarre circumstances but had to endure an unforgettable night with the body by the roadside as police officers only went to the scene on Saturday morning.

After cordoning off the spot, police officers left as they could not do anything in the absence of a medical personnel.

Speaking to Zambian Watch yesterday, Eunice’s mother, Mary Chibuye, said the family had searched for her daughter’s body everywhere and even reported the matter to the police but could not find her until her brothers found it on Friday evening.

“She went on missing on Saturday and we reported the matter to the police but could not find her. Yesterday, her brothers were passing through this area to go and buy relish when a strange smell hit them,Realising that their sister was missing, they took the trouble to find where the stench was coming from and that is how they found the body in this state” Ms. Chibuye said.

And father of the deceased, Katiti Khumalo, said he was at a loss for words over his daughter’s demise.

“All I can say is that I don’t know who killed my daughter. We have been looking for her for the whole week and she was only found dead last evening. It is only the clothes she was putting on that made us identify her as you can see that her body is decomposing,” Mr. Khumalo said.

And a close friend of Eunice’s mother who refused to be named said on the meterial day she went missing, she had an altercation with some unknown people at a nearby drinking place who were taking pictures of her without her conset.

She said after she confronted them as to why they were taking pictures without her consent, they threatened to deal with her and that after the misunderstanding, she left and headed home but that it was the last time she was seen her alive until her body was later discovered.

And one of the neighbours, Donald Kayamba, called on authorities to consider putting up a police post in the area before more lives were lost as she was not the first one to be murdered in a similar fashion.

“Not long ago, a young girl was murdered in similar fashion. We need a police post in this area before we lose more lives,” Mr. Kayamba said