Former President of Zambia Edgar Lungu said he was “practically under house arrest”, accusing the police of a conspiracy to forcibly detain him “for no reason”.
Mr Lungu said police were moving to arrest him at night at his residence in the capital, Lusaka.
This comes just days after the former leader said there could be a change of government in the country before the 2026 general elections.
Police chief Graphael Musamba said Lungu would be summoned to explain his statement, local media reported.
Lungu announced a return to politics last October, prompting the government to withdraw their retirement benefits.
He had retired from politics after losing the presidency to Hakainde Hichilema in 2021.
The former leader has accused the government of victimizing him and members of his Patriotic Front (PF) party to prevent his return to politics.
His wife, former first lady Esther Lungu, was accused of corruption involving cases of theft of motor vehicles and property titles. She denies the accusations.
The government denied targeting Lungu and asked him to give his successor time to fulfill his campaign promises.
On Wednesday, Lungu said he was subjected to numerous unconstitutional actions by the State after leaving office.
He claimed that the police were under instructions to “ambush me at night, kidnap, embarrass and forcibly detain me as a serious criminal”.
“As far as I know, I have not committed any crime that would justify the government, through the police, starting to plot against me in this way,” Lungu added.
It is unclear whether there was still a police presence at his home on Thursday and police did not immediately respond to BBC questions about the matter.
But the Presidency has argued in the past that it respects human rights and does not interfere in police operations.
Taking part in a religious service last Sunday, Lungu warned of a regime change before the next elections, saying that “a baby could be born before nine months”.
Information Minister Cornelius Mweetwa said the government was “carefully studying” Mr Lungu’s remarks, calling them “chilling and surprising”.
This comes just days after police warned that Mr Lungu was at risk of arrest and prosecution for “involvement in activities that disrupt public order and security”.
A crowd gathered around him as he walked the streets of Lusaka two weeks ago, apparently to assess the alleged high cost of doing business in the city.
In February, the former president asked citizens to call early elections, accusing his successor of being unable to manage the economy.
The former leader was last year warned against running in publicas police described their weekly training sessions as “political activism”.
Meanwhile, a human rights body has called on the Zambian government to overturn the conviction of an opposition official two weeks ago for apparently defaming the president.
Raphael Nakacinda, a senior PF official, was convicted on May 17 for his 2021 statements alleging that President Hichilema had coerced judges into handing down sentences that were favorable to him.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Nakacinda’s 18-month prison sentence would have “a broad chilling effect” on the right to freedom of expression in Zambia.
The Zambian government has not yet responded to HRW’s statement.
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