Police Spokesperson Esther Mwaata Katongo says UPND is not linked to the breaking in which occurred this morning along Chachacha road where they retrieved some explosives.

This is contrary to a statement issued by PF media director Sunday Chanda who claimed that some vigilant ruling party youths caught UPND cadres as they attempted to bomb the central business district.

Katongo in a statement said the incident was a pure matter of breaking, away from politics adding that one of the suspect identified as Lloyd Kabaso has been on the police wanted list.

“There was an attempted breaking at Petez trading shop along Chachacha road next to Bata stores where criminals cut roofing sheets and attempted to steal from there but nothing was stolen after alert Arm secure security guards challenged the criminals and managed to apprehend one suspect identified as Lloyd Kabaso aged 30 of Matero Township as he jumped off the roof . This occurred in the early hours of today, 17th June at 02:00 hours,” Katongo said.

“Three suspected criminal identified as Lloyd Kabaso aged 30, of Matero Township was this morning arrested after they attempted to break in a shop along Cha cha cha road around 02:00hrs. Kabaso has been on a police wanted list for similar offenses. We would like to dispel information circulating on social media linking This matter to politics, to UPND in particular as this is a pure matter of breaking. We call upon all those generating false information and issuing alarming statements to desist forthwith.”

Katongo said one of the suspects was cornored by alert Arm secure security guards after he tried to jump off the roof.

Mwaata explained that the suspect later led the police to two more criminals identified as Martin Tembo aged 43 years, and Solomon Njovu aged 32 years both of Matero Township who were also apprehended while a manhunt for one more suspect who is still on the run has been launched.

“Suspected dynamite explosives and assorted breaking implements have been recovered from the scene after police visited the scene crime. Criminals were using a Toyota Corolla, Grey in color with unknown registration number,” said Mwaata.

According to the PF media team, the crime was organised by the UPND.

“Vigilant Patriotic Front youths led by Eddie Gowa and Francis Muchemwa have just apprehended a hard-core criminal and UPND sympathiser Lloyd Kabaso with highly dangerous explosives in Lusaka CBD. From Kabaso’s confession, the target were public and private buildings as part of the scheme by UPND to cause anarchy following the arrest of its leader Hakainde Hichilema,” claimed the PF.

“Looking at the explosives in Kabaso’s possession, Lusaka was going to witness bombings never witnessed before. He has since been handed over to the Zambia Police and there specialised units. Last week, Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo warned that government had information that UPND had intentions to cause mayhem as a means of pressuring the release of their leader from prison. Hon Kampyongo had also appealed to the youth in PF to remain vigilant in helping to patrol and cooperate with security agencies in protecting public and private property.”

The UPND however thanked the police for rubbishing the claim by the ruling party.