AN uncle of the late Ruth Mbandu is believed to be one of the two people who have been picked up in connection with the grisly murder of the 19-year-old National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) student who met her fate last week on Friday.

Police Service acting Spokesperson Rea Hamoonga confirmed the development yesterday but could not give the identity of the two who had been picked up.

"We have apprehended two people to help in the investigations," he said.

However, reliable police sources disclosed to the Times of Zambia that one of the two suspects was an uncle of the victim, whom she had gone to visit in Kabanana Township in Lusaka on the fateful day.

Lusaka Province police chief Solomon Jere, on Sunday said police were closing in on the killers and that they had strong leads.

Ruth's body was discovered on Saturday morning in Lusaka's Emmasdale residential area about three houses away from her home.

Her eyes had been poked out while her facial skin had been peeled off in what has been suspected to be a ritual killing.

Matero Member of Parliament, Miles Sampa has staked K15 million for any person with information that would lead to the arrest of the killers.

Residents have called for the quick arrest of the assailants as they believed there were some ritual killers on the loose and could pounce on more people.

According to Ruth's mother, Victoria Mbandu, who is a widow, her daughter left home on Friday to visit her uncle in Kabanana Township.

"Around 18:30 hours, I got a call from my daughter who said she was on the bus at Ody's (filling station) on her way home. That was the last time I heard from her," she said.