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A suspect in the murder of Chikondi Banda has reportedly confessed to have killed the minor after abducting him from school.
A scene construction video submitted to court showed Nalukui Akafekwa giving chilling details of how he committed the murder on March 16, 2023 after his demand for K12,000 ransom failed.
Akafekwa told police that he abducted Chikondi with no intentions of ending his life but as a passport to extort some money from the boy’s relatives.
He said he desperately needed the money to support his child.
He said he killed the boy by hitting him with the stone on the back of his head.
This is in a matter in which Akafekwa, 27, of Garden Compound in Lusaka is facing one count of murder of Chikondi,10, a grade five pupil on March 17,2023.
Earlier, the defence had objected to the submission of the video contending that their client was tortured by police into accepting to lead and demonstrate commissioning of the crime.
Read more: Court orders trial-within-trial in a case where Akafekwa is accused of murder of 10-year-old boy
The court thus ordered a trial within trial and the accused testified that he was beaten using iron rods and short batons to the extent that he could not walk.
However, Lusaka High Court Judge Mwape dismissed the claims of torture saying the prosecution had proved that the warn and caution statement leading to scene construction was done in accordance with the police set standard.
Detective Chief Inspector, Shabang’ambe Modify Choompo, a Scenes of Crime Officer, testified that on March 28, he conducted a scene construction in which an audio and video was recorded using a Panasonic video camera.
Following the ruling, the video was played in Court which showed Akafekwa who walked unaided explain to the officers how he executed the crime.
He led the police to Naluma Academy in Northmead area where he picked Chikondi after he had closed from school.
He and the minor walked to Manda Hill mall where he bought a banana for the boy.
They then proceeded to Acades Mall and East Park mall where he bought Chicken and Chips for the child.
After eating, they began another journey in the direction of Katima Mulilo road and bought a cob of maize for the victim.
They continued walking until he reached Emmasdale with the victim having complained earlier that he was tired and just wanted to go home.
The accused told police that he had sent a text message to the number dialled by Chikondi saying they needed to pay K12, 000 in exchange for the victim’s freedom.
After 21:00 hours, with no response from the family’s boy, Akafekwa told police that he had run out of option of where next to take the child.
With the fear that he would be arrested if he took the boy back to his family, Akafekwa devised a plan and directed the boy to nearby maize field behind Emmasdale Police camp.
He told the boy to check for something in the field, and while the boy was in front, he hit him with a stone.
Akafekwa narrated to the police that the child became unconscious and bled from the mouth, but after some 20 minutes, he stopped breathing.
He said at this point, he became confused and grabbed the boy’s school bag and headed to his home where he dumped the same in an unused toilet.
Trial continues on December 1, 2023.
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