CHIFUNABULI TEEN ALLEGEDLY MURDERED OVER MISSING HAND-MADE BALL
A-15-year-old boy of Chifunabuli District has allegedly been murdered by his friends over a missing handmade ball.
The boy died after he was allegedly beaten by three of his juvenile friends aged between 12 and 15 years.
District Commissioner, Stanley Mukosa has confirmed the incident.
The incident happened on March 1, 2026 around 17:00 hours at Ntolele Village in Chief Chitembo’s area.
“On Saturday March 01, 2026 at around 21:17 hours, Chifunabuli Police received a call from a nurse from Lubwe Mission Hospital to the effect that a boy was brought in dead by his uncle and the same was suspected to have been murdered, and at around 21:23 hours, Police booked out to the hospital where they found the deceased boy in the Children’s Ward,” Mr Mukosa said.
He said brief facts of the matter are that on the said day, the deceased left home around 14:00 hours and went to Chifunabuli Boys Primary School grounds to watch soccer and met his friends.
The DC said the deceased was later given a hand ball belonging to one of his friends which he lost in the process and he left the ground without telling his friends.
Mr Mukosa said when the friends noticed his absence, they went looking for him and found him at the shore of Lake Chifunabuli with his mother where they demanded for the ball and threatened to beat him if he did not produce it to which the deceased mother pleaded with them and promised to compensate them for the lost ball.
Mr Mukosa explained that after the confrontation, the deceased left together with the perpetrators and left the mother by the shore knowing all had been settled.
He said later in the day the victim returned home claiming he had been beaten by his friends over the ball and while explaining, he fell and became unconscious and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Physical inspections on the body showed swellings on the right side of the head, beneath the right eye and a reddish left eye as slaps and kicks are alleged to have been used to inflict the injuries.
