Thirteen Zambian women held by their abductors for months were rescued yesterday in Lusaka after one of the women managed to escape and alert neighbors.

The women were abducted over the past six months and the kidnappers had been sending videos to their families showing the women being beaten. The abductors were demanding ransom from the families.

Among the women was Pamela Chisumpa, a 22-year-old Mobile Money Booth operator who was abducted 6-months ago in Lusaka, and Agnes Kapwaya a first-year nursing student who had been kidnapped 3 weeks ago.

The house where the women were being kept

The others are a female Juvenile aged 17, Grace Siabeula aged 22,  Felistus Hachintu aged 18,  Ruth Banda aged 21, Nalukui Macwani aged 21,  Docus Chungwe aged 24, Priscila Mapulanga aged 23, Honester Lungu aged 25, Rosemary Chibwe 25, Faith Muluti aged 28 and Paxina Chanda aged 22.

Police launched an investigation in April this year when Pamela was abducted in Lusaka but their investigation yielded no results.

Speaking to Zambia’s Diamond TV, a neighbor identified as Robby Chitambo said one of the women managed to escape yesterday after the kidnappers forgot to lock the door of the house the women were being held in. The woman climbed over a fence and alerted neighbors.

Chitambo who was at the time watching TV responded to the call. He and two other neighbors  broke into the house where they helped the remaining girls to escape

“We found a casket and a shrine inside the house. There were also charms, pads, and condoms everywhere,” he said, adding that the women looked weak and traumatized.

He also recounted that he used to see the kidnappers frequently buying condoms and pads which seemed off.

Lemmy Kajoba, Inspector General of Police, said yesterday that the victims had been taken to a medical facility for medical attention.

“We have apprehended one suspect who is in our custody to help us with Investigations,” Kasoba