Police pick up Zambia opposition leader after overnight raid

Police have finally picked up Zambia's leading opposition leader for questioning after an overnight siege at his residence, his party said on Tuesday.

Charles Kakoma, the spokesperson of the United Party for National Development (UPND), confirmed that Hakainde Hichilema was picked around mid-morning and taken to Woodlands Police Station in Lusaka, the country's capital for questioning and later taken to a police training college, Lilayi, on the outskirts of the city.

He was accompanied to the police station by his lawyers and some senior party officials.

He however said the opposition leader has not been officially charged although reports indicate that it has to do with a Saturday incident where Hichilema's convoy allegedly blocked President Edgar Lungu's motorcade in the western part of the country.

Police raided the opposition leader's residence on Monday night in a bid to arrest him.

According to reports, the police switched off power to the house, blocked the main roads and broke down the gates to gain access into the house before firing teargas into the house, choking the opposition leader's family.

Some of the party's senior leaders and journalists who went to the residence situated in east of the city were assaulted by the police.

The overnight raid has since received condemnation from some quarters with an international lawyer based in the United States Elias Munshya Wa Munshya saying it was unconstitutional and unlawful because the opposition leader was not a criminal who had refused to respond to a call-out.

But the police have defended the raid, saying the officers had an objective of raiding the house.

The police have since promised to give a detailed statement after the operations.

Hichilema narrowly lost to Lungu in last year's elections but has refused to recognize him as winner of the election, saying the vote was stolen. Endit