By 
Police in Choma have apprehended a 30-year-old woman in connection with the alleged abduction of an 11-month-old male child who was reported missing in Lusaka earlier this week.
Police identified the suspect as Racheal Banda of Lusaka and was arrested on July 16, 2026, after officers found her with the missing child at a lodge in Choma.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, Police Spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi said the case was first reported at Chilenje Police Station through Godfrey Miyanda Police Post in Lusaka on July 14, 2026 around 22:50 hours.
Preliminary investigations indicate the child was taken from the mother’s house in the Chalala area on the same day around 16:40 hours.
“The suspect was known to the child’s family and worked as a maid near the complainant’s residence. The child is one of a set of twins,” he said.
Chilabi said the suspect, who was known to the child’s family and worked as a maid near the complainant’s residence, allegedly took the child from the mother’s house in Chalala area on the same day around 16:40 hours.
He said the suspect allegedly left with the child on the pretext of buying him snacks from a nearby shop but did not return.
Read More: Police arrest 10 over reported political murder in Kaputa
“The matter was reported at Chilenje Police Station through Godfrey Miyanda Police Post in Lusaka on July 14, 2026, around 22:50 hours,” Chilabi said.
He said the breakthrough came on July 16 around 09:30 hours when a 38-year-old man from Namwala District alerted police in Choma after seeing a Facebook post about the missing child.
“The citizen became suspicious and immediately reported the matter to police after seeing a Facebook post about the missing child, which included photographs of the child and the suspect,” Chilabi said.
Officers proceeded to the lodge where the suspect was staying, apprehended her, and safely recovered the child, who has since been placed under the care of the Department of Social Welfare.
He commended members of the public for their vigilance and encourages communities to continue reporting any suspicious activities involving children.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue and further updates would be provided as the inquiry progresses.
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