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Zambia’s Department of Immigration has apprehended 62 Ethiopian nationals in two separate incidents in Central and Eastern provinces, with one Ethiopian national dying in a road traffic accident, the department said.
Immigration officers in Kabwe on September 28, 2026 apprehended 50 Ethiopian nationals following reports from members of the public about suspected illegal immigrants in the Mulungushi and Mpima Dairy Scheme areas.
The development is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday by Department of Immigration Chief Public Relations Officer Namati Nshinka.
Nshinka said the 50 were part of an estimated 67 Ethiopian nationals allegedly concealed in a compartment of an empty trailer hauled by a truck bearing registration number BBC 7457 and trailer number CAA 1145, reportedly belonging to Ainanji Logistics of Chibombo.
“The vehicle was found abandoned along the Great North Road near Mulungushi University after reportedly developing a mechanical fault. The driver is believed to have fled the scene and is currently being sought,” he said.
Nshinka said extreme heat and inadequate ventilation inside the trailer were suspected to have forced the Ethiopian nationals to escape through an opening and disperse into nearby farms in search of food and shelter.
Immigration officers apprehended 43 at different locations, while seven were apprehended by the Zambia Police Service and handed over to immigration authorities.
“Of the fifty apprehended, thirty (30) were found with Ethiopian national identification cards, while twenty (20) were in possession of valid Ethiopian passports without Zambian entry endorsement stamps,” Nshinka said.
Preliminary investigations suggest the group was destined for South Africa and that the truck may have used alternative routes to avoid the Manyumbi Toll Plaza, as preliminary checks found no record of it having passed through the facility.
Meanwhile, Nshinka said immigration officers in Petauke on September 25 apprehended 12 Ethiopian nationals following a road traffic accident involving a Toyota Sienta along the Great East Road in the Minga area at around 03:20 hours.
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“The accident involved seventeen (17) Ethiopian nationals and a Zambian driver identified as Thomas Soko. Mr. Soko and one Ethiopian national died at the scene,” he said.
Nshinka said of the remaining 16 Ethiopian nationals, 12 were apprehended while four fled and were still being sought, with local communities sensitised to report information that could lead to their apprehension.
He said seven of the 12 apprehended Ethiopian nationals were found in possession of passports that did not bear entry endorsements for either Zambia or Malawi.
Preliminary investigations suggest the group may have travelled through Malawi before entering Zambia illegally.
The 12 are being detained pending further investigations and possible prosecution, bringing the total number of Ethiopian nationals apprehended in the two incidents in Kabwe and Petauke to 62.
Nshinka commended members of the public and police for their assistance and warned motorists against facilitating the illegal entry, movement or stay of foreign nationals.
He said persons found aiding illegal immigration would be dealt with in accordance with the law.
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