Zambia's songbird Angela Nyirenda, yesterday wept at the Kitwe local court after her eight-year-old son was allegedly abducted by her former lover, Masautso Banda, who is the father of the boy.

Angela and Banda appeared in the Kitwe local court yesterday over the custody of the child.

Banda, a Kitwe businessperson, took his son by force from unsuspecting Nyirenda after Kitwe local court senior presiding justice, Rodney Kasoka, dismissed the case, saying the matter be heard in Lusaka where the defendant (Angela) was residing.

Banda had taken Angela to court after she failed to release the boy, who had gone to visit her for holidays in Lusaka.

However, justice Kasoka, who was sitting with justices Ignatius Masupelo and Alice Obe, said in dismissing the case that the court could not handle the matter because it had no jurisdiction over it.

He said the court had considered the case carefully and resolved that since the mother and child in question were Lusaka residents, the matter be heard in Lusaka.

In his testimony, Banda told the court that he was in fact keeping the child in Kitwe and that the boy had merely travelled to Lusaka to see his mother who he alleged failed to release him.

Mr Kasoka advised the two to appeal within 30 days if they were not pleased with the outcome of the case or sue afresh in Lusaka.

But shortly after coming out of court, Banda got the boy amid

protestations from the child and drove off in his Honda CVR registration number ACK 7406.

The boy, who was crying, tried to jump out of the vehicle through the window.

Banda stopped the car, closed the windows while a shocked and sobbing Nyirenda rushed to the court justices to report the incident.

And Nyirenda's uncle, Stanley Mushange, said the family had allowed Banda to keep his son on condition that he visited the mother during holidays.

Mr Mushange alleged Banda, who took the child a year ago, had never taken him to see his mother in Lusaka.

He disclosed that Nyirenda's family had gone to the victim support unit so that they could resolve the matter amicably but Banda refused and instead took the matter to court.