Woman arrested for 5 hijack murders

f Zambia by mitia on 6/14/13

By SYLVIA MWEETWA –
A WOMAN believed to be behind the shooting to death of five passengers after a highway hijack in November last year has been arrested in Kabwe.
Five passengers were shot dead by highway bandits armed with AK47 assault rifles after hijacking a truck in which the five were travelling.
The incident happened between Kabwe and Kapiri Mposhi as the passengers on the truck were travelling to Kasama from Lusaka with building material.
They were waylaid before reaching a Police and Immigration checkpoint at Manyumbi area and commandeered it to a nearby bush where the gunmen sprayed bullets on them.
Central Province Police chief  Standwell Lungu confirmed the arrest of the woman but could not give the identity.
But police sources identified the woman as Mapalo Manda of Lusaka’s Chalala area.
Mr Lungu said the robbers at the time demanded money but the driver of the truck and the passengers indicated that they did not have, which angered their captors.
They opened fire on the six and left them for dead before going away with the truck and the Toyota Corolla.
However, the driver regained consciousness and managed to crawl to Manyumbi Police Post, where he reported the attack.
Sources said the woman was allegedly working with four men who were shot dead in Chisamba last month after they attempted to escape.
Last month, five suspected criminals in Chisamba were shot dead after they attempted to escape from police officers.
The suspects attempted to escape from a police vehicle which was ferrying them to Lusaka.
They were apprehended in the Democratic Republic of Co