ONGWEDIVA – A self-proclaimed herbalist is under investigation by the Oshana police for scamming pensioners.
Retirees have allegedly been targeted by this ‘traditional healer’. Seven more cases were reported to the police over the weekend, implicating the same ‘traditional healer’.
The ‘traditional healer’ in question is well known for posting videos of his alleged patients on social media, praising him for his “good work”.
Of late, he has also been active on social media, posting as a ‘philanthropic doctor’, giving money to the needy. He, however, does not show his face in these posts.
Oshana Police spokesperson Thomas Aiyambo said his office has been receiving various reports of pensioners being scammed for
their money by this ‘traditional healer’.
According to Aiyambo, six cases of people allegedly being scammed by this ‘healer’ were registered in the Ohangwena region, while three pensioners from the Oshana region were refunded after they alerted the police.
“We will investigate him to find out how many people were scammed,” he added.
In addition, Aiyambo narrated that last week, a 60-year-old cattle farmer almost lost N$400 000 to this self-proclaimed herbalist in Oshakati.
It is alleged that the pensioner sought assistance from the herbalist after he lost eight cattle and wanted help in retrieving them.
After paying a deposit of N$16 500 to the popular ‘healer’, he was instructed to pay an additional N$400 000, as he allegedly had snakes in his body and that someone wanted to kill him.
Aiyambo said the man then went to withdraw the funds; however, the bank informed the police, who escorted him to the house of the ‘healer’.
The Kenyan-born ‘traditional healer’ (40), who is a resident of Ekuku in Oshakati, however, told New Era he did not ask the victim N$400 000 but that he asked him to pay only an extra N$400.
“We didn’t understand one another. My client was confused,” he said.
He further stressed that when the victim came to his house, seeking assistance, he did not tell him about having snakes in the body.
“He told me he has a certain disease, and I instructed him to pay an extra N$400,” he added.
He mentioned that he only has three cases that were opened against him in Ohangwena, which were all withdrawn after he refunded people’s money.
“I am not a fake traditional healer. People should not tarnish my name because this will chase away my clients,” he said.
Meanwhile, two weeks ago, a 61-year-old woman from Ongwediva was allegedly scammed out of N$116 000 by the same ‘traditional healer’ when she sought help for her mentally ill son.
However, the victim withdrew the case after the healer refunded her N$80 000.
Last year, a 64-year-old from Ondangwa was scammed out of N$13 800 by the same traditional healer; however, the money was refunded after the victim reported the matter to the police.
The same ‘traditional healer’ was also accused by a 38-year-old woman. However, her N$700 was refunded after she
threatened to alert the police.
New Era earlier reported that three women were allegedly scammed out of N$700 000 by a close male friend, who pretended to be a female ‘traditional healer’ in Ohangwena.
The suspect – Elias Tobias (32) – has since been arrested, and his case has been postponed to 24 August 2023 for further police investigations.
Aiyambo has urged the public to be careful whenever approaching ‘traditional healers’.