By 
Authorities in Mpulungu have retrieved the body of a 20-year-old man who drowned in Lake Tanganyika, as the district simultaneously recorded a case of defilement involving a six-year-old girl.
According to police, the body was recovered after days of continuous searching, following the March 19, 2026 incident in Nzovuwe Village, where the victim drowned after a strong wave hit a canoe he was in with his grandson.
Northern Province Commanding Officer Simunji Mulonda confirmed the development.
“You may wish to note that after days of continuous search, on Sunday, March 22, 2026, slightly after midnight, the deceased’s body has been retrieved after it was found floating on the water by relatives with the help of members of the community at the same point he drowned,” Mulonda said.
He explained that police were alerted once the body was brought to the shore at Ngwenya Market. Officers conducted a physical inspection and found the body in a semi-decomposed state.
Mulonda added that no foul play was suspected and that relatives had been advised to bury the victim and mark the grave.
In a related development, Mulonda disclosed that police in the same district received a report from a 44-year-old woman alleging that her six-year-old daughter had been defiled by a 61-year-old man.
The victim reportedly complained of genital pain and body aches.
According to the police statement, the incident came to light on March 21, 2026, around 10:00 hours when the victim’s elder brother noticed her limping. When questioned, she dismissed it by saying that was “how she wanted to walk.”
“As he entered the house, putting what he had gone to buy from the market, he saw her getting water in a dish to bath herself, and when she bent down, he noticed blood on her dress and immediately notified his other sister to check on her person,” Mulonda said.
An aunt who later examined the child confirmed seeing blood on the girl’s dress and thighs, and observed that the child was visibly in pain. The girl eventually narrated what had happened, leading to the arrest of the 61-year-old suspect, whom she positively identified.
“He will be charged to court soon,” Mulonda said.
The commanding officer expressed concern over the rise in defilement cases in the province, warning that police would not relent in pursuing offenders.
“The victim in this case supposedly is supposed to be a granddaughter to the accused going by their ages, and yet he went ahead to defile her,” he said.
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.
Comments