Nigerian Nathaniel Barthram charged in Zambia over the death of a 22-year-old man as court reduces charge to manslaughter and grants bail

Nigerian Nathaniel Barthram charged in Zambia has appeared alongside four others, including his girlfriend, Maria Zaloumis, over the death of a 22-year-old man, Enoch Kasengele.

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The case, which has attracted significant public attention, was transferred to the High Court for trial after a Kabwe Magistrate’s Court reduced the charge from murder to manslaughter.

According to a report by the Lusaka Times on Tuesday, Magistrate Wamundila Liswaniso granted the accused bail, setting the amount at K20,000 each, with two traceable civil servant sureties per person.

The state, however, requested that Barthram surrender his Nigerian passport as part of the bail conditions.

The other suspects named in the report include Zaloumis, Daniel Chiluwa, Fortune Mwitangati, and Gift Daka. They were all accused of committing the offence at Onani Farm in Kabwe on 17 August.

Kasengele, who reportedly lived along the Kabwe–Lusaka Road, was said to have died following an incident that led to the initial murder charges.

Barthram, a 34-year-old Nigerian resident at Tuzini Farm, and Zaloumis, a farmer at Wonani Farm, were identified as a couple at the time of the alleged offence.

In an earlier hearing, The Mast newspaper reported that the suspects were first arraigned before the Kabwe Magistrates’ Court in September, facing a murder charge under Section 200, Chapter 87 of Zambia’s laws.

They were subsequently remanded at the Mukobeko Maximum Correctional Facility pending further instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

During the latest court appearance on Monday, State Advocate Joseph Zimba announced that the DPP had consented to reduce the charge from murder to manslaughter.

Defence lawyers promptly applied for bail, arguing that manslaughter is a bailable offence and that the accused were ready to comply with all court conditions.

The development marks a new phase in a case that has stirred discussions across Zambia and Nigeria about the conduct of foreign nationals.

It also adds to a string of recent reports involving Nigerians abroad facing legal or criminal allegations.

In February, Indian media reported the death of a Nigerian national, Adiyako Masaliyo, who was beaten to death in Bellahalli, Bhagaluru, after an altercation over a suspected drug-related issue.

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Observers note that while individual incidents should not define an entire community, such cases have often drawn attention to the challenges Nigerians face abroad, including stereotypes, consular issues, and strained bilateral relations.