Students kidnapped for ransom
Suspects threaten to rape, traffic young woman
A young woman's family was threatened that if they don't pay a ransom, their loved one would be 'sold' to a contact in Angola.
Criminals in the Oshana Region have seemingly come up with new ways to “conduct business” after another student was kidnapped, held for ransom and robbed at Omahenene location in the Oshakati West constituency on Monday.
Oshana police spokesperson, warrant officer Frieda Shikole, said a case of robbery with aggravating circumstances has been opened.
The incident took place at around 18:20, she said, adding that the suspect kidnapped the victim, robbed her of her money and cellphone at knife-point and assaulted her.
In a widely circulated audio clip, a woman - reportedly the victim’s aunt – warned parents that the young woman was on her way from campus after writing exams when she was grabbed.
The criminals’ trick seems to be calling the victims’ parents to demand money. Initially, her parents refused. The suspect then retorted that he would rape her and traffic her to Angola.
Low on funds, the parents asked family members for help.
The victim sustained slight injuries.
Thousands sent
“It is alleged that the victim took a taxi to the Ongwediva engineering campus to study, and in the process, [she was kidnapped] - to the extent of demanding money from her parents, relatives and friends,” Shikole said.
She said the suspects allegedly threatened the family that they would sell the young woman to a contact in Angola if they don't pay the ransom.
“The parents - due to fear - sent an amount of N$3 900. Then the [suspects] took N$780 from the victim’s account, which totals N$4 680 - excluding the cellphone [they stole], which is valued at N$2 500,” she said.
No arrests have been made. Investigations into the matter continue.
Similar incident
In October, a nursing student in Ondangwa was allegedly kidnapped and robbed of more than N$12 000 in the Ekuku area.
The police reported that the 25-year-old woman hailed a taxi, which was transporting three men.
One of the men grabbed her handbag and cellphone and instructed her to tell her mother to make a cellphone transfer of N$2 000 to her, police spokesperson Thomas Aiyambo said at the time.
She was also instructed to ask her aunt to send her N$1 000, which she did as well.
Aiyambo said the men then demanded another N$2 000 from the victim’s mother, while threatening her with a knife and punching her in the ribs
After failing to extort even more money from the victim, the taxi dropped her off at Omayanga village, where she took another taxi to Oshakati.
“The taxi was a black Nissan March with an Oshakati registration number, but the number plate was not captured during the incident. The victim was robbed a Samsung A30 smartphone, house keys and cash amounting to N$7 300,” police reported.
No arrests have been made, and the money has not been recovered.
Be careful
Head of regional crime investigations, deputy commissioner Theophilus Kamati, warned members of the public to be extra careful when taking a taxi.
Those who know taxi drivers should make arrangements to be picked up or dropped off by familiar people, he said.
“Those who have cellphones, they should secretly take photos of the car before they board and send it to their friends or acquaintances as well soon as practicable. They must always try to note things in the car, clothing of the people in the car, the make of the car and any identifiable items on the car.”
In the meantime, the police force is engaging the relevant stakeholders to make sure that all taxis on the road are identifiable, Kamati said.
Oshana police spokesperson, warrant officer Frieda Shikole, said a case of robbery with aggravating circumstances has been opened.
The incident took place at around 18:20, she said, adding that the suspect kidnapped the victim, robbed her of her money and cellphone at knife-point and assaulted her.
In a widely circulated audio clip, a woman - reportedly the victim’s aunt – warned parents that the young woman was on her way from campus after writing exams when she was grabbed.
The criminals’ trick seems to be calling the victims’ parents to demand money. Initially, her parents refused. The suspect then retorted that he would rape her and traffic her to Angola.
Low on funds, the parents asked family members for help.
The victim sustained slight injuries.
Thousands sent
“It is alleged that the victim took a taxi to the Ongwediva engineering campus to study, and in the process, [she was kidnapped] - to the extent of demanding money from her parents, relatives and friends,” Shikole said.
She said the suspects allegedly threatened the family that they would sell the young woman to a contact in Angola if they don't pay the ransom.
“The parents - due to fear - sent an amount of N$3 900. Then the [suspects] took N$780 from the victim’s account, which totals N$4 680 - excluding the cellphone [they stole], which is valued at N$2 500,” she said.
No arrests have been made. Investigations into the matter continue.
Similar incident
In October, a nursing student in Ondangwa was allegedly kidnapped and robbed of more than N$12 000 in the Ekuku area.
The police reported that the 25-year-old woman hailed a taxi, which was transporting three men.
One of the men grabbed her handbag and cellphone and instructed her to tell her mother to make a cellphone transfer of N$2 000 to her, police spokesperson Thomas Aiyambo said at the time.
She was also instructed to ask her aunt to send her N$1 000, which she did as well.
Aiyambo said the men then demanded another N$2 000 from the victim’s mother, while threatening her with a knife and punching her in the ribs
After failing to extort even more money from the victim, the taxi dropped her off at Omayanga village, where she took another taxi to Oshakati.
“The taxi was a black Nissan March with an Oshakati registration number, but the number plate was not captured during the incident. The victim was robbed a Samsung A30 smartphone, house keys and cash amounting to N$7 300,” police reported.
No arrests have been made, and the money has not been recovered.
Be careful
Head of regional crime investigations, deputy commissioner Theophilus Kamati, warned members of the public to be extra careful when taking a taxi.
Those who know taxi drivers should make arrangements to be picked up or dropped off by familiar people, he said.
“Those who have cellphones, they should secretly take photos of the car before they board and send it to their friends or acquaintances as well soon as practicable. They must always try to note things in the car, clothing of the people in the car, the make of the car and any identifiable items on the car.”
In the meantime, the police force is engaging the relevant stakeholders to make sure that all taxis on the road are identifiable, Kamati said.
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