By 
Nalukui Akafekwa has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lusaka High Court for the brutal murder of 10-year-old Chikondi Banda nearly two years ago.
The sentence was handed down by High Court Judge Mwape Bowa, who stated that life imprisonment was the only fitting punishment for the crime.
“I sentence you, Nalukui Akafekwa, to life imprisonment, effective from the date of your arrest on March 28,” Judge Bowa declared.
Outside the courtroom, Precious Banda, Chikondi’s mother, wept as the sentence was announced. Peter Banda, the boy’s father, expressed relief, stating that he believed justice had been served.
The court heard that on March 16, 2023, Akafekwa lured Chikondi, a Grade 5 pupil, away from his usual route home.
Surveillance footage showed the two walking together near Emmasdale Police Camp between 20:00 and 20:26 hours. Akafekwa later bludgeoned the boy with a large stone, covered his head with a plastic bag, and abandoned his body in a nearby maize field.
Akafekwa had demanded a K12,000 ransom from Chikondi’s family before carrying out the murder.
The prosecution presented 18 witnesses, including Sylvia Mwange, Chikondi’s teacher at Naluma Academy, who described him as an intelligent and quiet child.
Further evidence connected Akafekwa to the crime, including a maroon bomber jacket and a laptop bag found in an abandoned toilet that matched the description of the suspect’s belongings. An Itel phone recovered from Akafekwa contained ransom messages sent to the victim’s aunt.
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Akafekwa’s father, William Akafekwa, testified that his son had admitted to the crime, saying, “I am sorry, Daddy.”
Judge Bowa dismissed Akafekwa’s claims that the police had forced him to confess, stating that the evidence was clear, including surveillance footage showing him with Chikondi, sending the ransom message, and his father’s testimony.
The judge emphasized that Akafekwa, who was a neighbor, had betrayed the trust of a child who considered him safe, making the crime even more heinous.
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