Two armed robbery suspects accused of disarming prison guards at Khami Prison on March 21 and stealing an AK47 rifle have been shot dead in police custody.
According to a police report of the incident seen by ZimLive, Never Moyo, 48, of Nkulumane 11 and Bhekimpilo Sibanda, 43, of Kezi “suddenly became violent in a bid to disarm one of the police officers of his AK47” and were subsequently shot dead on April 26.
The suspects had been booked out of Bulawayo Central Police Station for “indications” near Khami Dam where they had allegedly hidden two guns.
A third suspect, Jerry Arnold Gumbo, 48, of Maphisa, is in police custody.
The report says at around 2 AM on March 21, Moyo and Sibanda who were armed with a pistol and an electric shock stun gun ambushed prison guards at Khami Prison and robbed them of an AK47 assault rifle.
The men then allegedly went on a spree robbing shops and stealing motor vehicles.
It is alleged that on March 23, Moyo and Sibanda robbed the Meat Company in the Njube suburb of US$1,800 and R1,400 which was in the cash till.
On April 2, they boarded a Pumula-bound Honda Fit in Nkulumane before pulling out a gun and allegedly robbing Udin Nyoni of the vehicle and US$60 in cash.
On the same day, Moyo and Sibanda who were allegedly armed with an AK47 and a pistol accosted staff at FMG Wholesale in central Bulawayo. They forced the workers to open the cash till and emptied it of US$780.
On April 3, teacher Yedwa Ncube of Old Lobengula arrived home just after 8 PM and parked in front of his house before going to open the gate. Moyo and Sibanda allegedly appeared from the darkness and produced guns before robbing him of his vehicle and two phones.
On April 4, Sibanda and Moyo allegedly robbed three illegal foreign currency dealers, Siphilile Mabhena, Vusile Moyo and Mlungisi Sigauke, at Nkulumane Complex.
Sibanda and Moyo allegedly approached them while armed with an AK47 and a pistol and demanded cash. The trio was robbed of R1,000, US$1,800 and US$1,400 respectively.
On April 18, Moyo and Sibanda robbed Mlungisi Sigauke of Old Lobengula who had just parked outside his house at 7 PM. The suspects suddenly emerged and forced Sigauke to hand over his car keys for his unidentified vehicle at gunpoint. The duo drove off at high speed.
Two days later, on April 20, Moyo and Sibanda allegedly pounced on the Maphisa Post Office and ordered Ernest Dube to open the safe at gunpoint. They grabbed US$2,240 from the safe.
According to the police report, detectives raided Moyo’s Nkulumane 11 residence on April 26 after a tip-off that he had a gun.
After his arrest, police recovered an AK47 rifle with eight rounds and a black pistol pellet gun. Also recovered were two hand-held Bao-Feng communication radios.
Moyo allegedly implicated Sibanda in all the robberies and the third suspect Gumbo in the Maphisa Post Office robbery only.
Sibanda and Gumbo were arrested at their rural homes without incident.
On April 26, Moyo and Sibanda led police to Khami Dam where they said they had hidden two guns. Police recovered an FN Browning pistol and a Taurus revolver. Reads the police report:
The accused person suddenly became violent in a bid to disarm one of the police officers with his AK47 rifle. They were subsequently shot by alert police details and sustained gunshot wounds to their backs. They were rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospitals where they died on admission.
According to ZimLive, Moyo and Sibanda were both ex-convicts released from Khami Prison in 2022 and February 2024 respectively.
The killing of the suspects in police custody is the latest in a chain of similar incidents which have led to accusations that police engage in extra-judicial killings.
However, in all the incidents, Police have defended their conduct, saying they were protecting themselves and denied summarily executing suspects.
More: Pindula News