Lusaka | April 16, 2026 – The case of six accused persons charged with the illegal possession of 94 pieces of elephant ivory weighing over 470 kilograms returned to the Lusaka Magistrates Court today.
At the last sitting, the court heard bail applications from Gift Miyanda, Mark Mukanya, Babou Awazi Selemani, Malikiso Inambao, and Webster Muzyamba, then adjourned to consider. This morning, it returned with a decision, one that decided where the six will sleep tonight, and for all the nights until their case is finally resolved.
The court declined to grant bail and decided that for five of the accused persons, the remand facility would be their fixed abode until their case is finally disposed of.
The reasons were clear. First, the accused persons did not demonstrate that they were of fixed abode. Nothing was attached to their affidavits to confirm their residence. Second, Babou Awazi Selemani, the fourth accused, stated that he lived in Matero but failed to provide a house number. Third, the court ruled that the failure to provide a fixed abode creates a real risk of absconding and to protect the integrity of the court proceedings, bail was refused.
For the second accused, Mugundumu Miyanda, the court revoked his police bond stating that he too must satisfy the legal requirements for bail and that police bond does not exempt him from the court’s scrutiny. He was also remanded in custody. A ruling on Mugundumu Miyanda’s formal bail application will be delivered on April 23, 2026.
The trial is set for May 4, 2026, and is prosecuted by Acting Senior State Advocate Ms. Laika Zunduna and State Advocate Lester Syamasonta of the National Prosecution Authority’s Environmental and Wildlife Crimes Department.
Acting for the first, second, third, fifth, and sixth accused is B. M. Kabika of Mwimaka Legal Practitioners. The fourth accused, Babou Awazi Selemani, is represented by Ms. Sophia Kapapa and Mr. Michael Tembo of Chilupe and Permanent Chambers.
This case is one of the first major tests for the NPA’s specialised Environmental and Wildlife Crimes Department. By concentrating expertise, resources, and dedicated prosecutors on wildlife crime, the department is adding both speed and focus to the prosecution of environmental offences. The message is clearly that ivory trafficking will not be tolerated, and the law will move with precision and purpose.#WildlifeCrime || #IvoryTrafficking || #NPAZambia || #BailDenied || #EnvironmentalJustice