The police in the Zambezi Region are searching for three escapees after five trial-awaiting inmates escaped from the Ngoma police station holding cells on Saturday.

Zambezi Police Commissioner Andreas Shilelo is appealing to residents of Kabbe South and North to be on the lookout for suspicious movements of people in their areas.

Shilelo told nbc News that the police are tracking the escapees and managed to re-arrest two this morning. One person who was sheltering one of the escapees has also been arrested.

The escapees include two Namibians and three Zambians. 

Shilelo said the incident occurred when a police officer on duty opened the cell for one of the inmates who was screaming, pretending to need assistance.

Shilelo attributes the escape to police negligence. 

This is a developing story.