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Zambia Police have denied reports made by Radio Icengelo, which claimed that police officers had stormed Divine Mercy Parish Catholic Church in Hillcrest, Ndola.
On Sunday, radio Icengelo had alleged that the police were at the church to search for political figures who were allegedly present in the area.
However, in a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, the police refuted these claims, asserting that no such incident occurred.
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Police Public Relations Officer Rae Hamoonga clarified that contrary to Radio Icengelo’s report, the police did not storm Divine Mercy Parish Catholic Church.
He said instead, a team of police officers were stationed along the road near the Parish in Hillcrest to monitor the movement of people in the area.
“During this time, a number of church congregants were leaving the church yard, either on foot or in their vehicles,” Hamoonga pointed out.
Hamoonga added that a congregant named Kamwale Phiri, aged 66, who resides at House Number E3 Rehabilitation Center, was taken to Hillcrest Police Post for questioning after being seen taking pictures of the officers and their police vehicles.
“The individual was approached by the officers and asked why he was taking the photographs. Initially, he denied doing so, but upon inspection of his phone, a picture of the officers was found,” he mentioned.
At the police post, Hamoonga stated that Phiri expressed regret for his actions, apologised and assured the officers that he would not repeat such behavior.
“The photograph was subsequently deleted from his phone, and the phone was returned to him. Phiri, who is elderly and appeared not be in good health, was then allowed to leave,” he stated.
Hamoonga emphasized that at no point did the police “storm” the church, clarifying that the officers were merely conducting routine observation duty in the area.
“The Zambia Police Service remains committed to maintaining peace and ensuring the safety of all citizens. We urge the public to refrain from spreading misinformation and to verify facts before sharing them,” he encouraged.
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