By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Former President of Zambia, Edgar Lungu says he was “practically under house arrest”, alleging that the police are plotting to forcefully detain him “for no reason”.
This comes a few days after the former leader was quoted as saying that there could be a change of government in the country before the 2026 general election.
Arising from this, Lungu said police officers are mobilising to arrest him at night from his residence in the capital, Lusaka.
Quoting the police chief, Graphael Musamba, local media said Mr Lungu would be summoned to explain his statement.
On Wednesday, Mr Lungu said he had been subject to numerous unconstitutional actions by the state after leaving office.
Lungu has claimed police were under instructions to “ambush me at night, abduct, embarrass, and forcefully detain me like a hardcore criminal”.
“As far as I am aware, I have not committed any crime that would warrant the government, through the police, to start scheming against me in this manner,” Mr Lungu added.
After he lost power to President Hakainde Hichilema in 2021, Lungu announced his retirement from politics.
In a sudden u-turn, Lungu in October last year announced his comeback to the political scene, leading to the withdrawal of his retirement benefits by the government.
He has repeatedly accused the government of victimising him and members of his Patriotic Front (PF) party to block his return to politics.
The government has however denied targeting Lungu and asked him to give his successor time to deliver his campaign promises.
Information Minister Cornelius Mweetwa said the government was “carefully studying” Mr Lungu’s remarks, terming them “hair-raising and startling”.
Heritage Times HT recalls that police had cautioned that Lungu risked being arrested and prosecuted for “engaging in activities that disrupt public order and safety”.
A crowd of supporters had besieged him as he walked around the streets of Lusaka two weeks ago, where he had gone to assess the reported high cost of living.
In February, the former President asked citizens to call for an early election, accusing his successor of failing to manage the economy.
Heritage Times HT recalls that the former leader was last year warned against jogging in public, as police described his weekly workouts as “political activism”.
