Victoria Kaapanda
A woman and her two accomplices, who had vanished for two weeks after allegedly kidnapping another women’s child, were remanded in custody after they appeared in the Tsumeb Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The arrest was effected when the family of Albertina Tinah Jason reported her missing after she left her home in Tsumeb to visit her boyfriend in Oshakati, but that she never reached her destination. The police in the Oshikoto region requested public assistance in tracing her.
The family also narrated she was in the company of another woman with a baby when she left home. The details given by the family motivated the police to connect the dots and link Jason to the crime of a baby, who was kidnapped in Tsumeb two weeks ago.
According to the police spokesperson, Kauna Shikwambi, Jason, who is originally from the Amilema village in Oshikoto, was arrested Tuesday at Oshaandja village, some 7 km west of Oshakati in the Oshana region.
The arrest happened after a successful operation was conducted by the police in the Oshikoto, Oshana and Erongo regions to track down the suspects in the matter.
“Jason was found with the baby boy, who was identified by his 18-year-old mother from Onheleiwa village. The baby was medically checked by a doctor and confirmed to be in good health – and consequently handed back to the mother,’’ she explained.
She said two people suspected to be accomplices in the matter are 21-year-old Lydia Kaunehafo Shimbilinga from Onheleiwa village, Ohangwena region and her 25-year-old brother Joseph Natangwe Shatilwe, who is a security guard in Swakopmund.
Shikwambi alleged an 18-year-old job-seeker travelled with her baby from the north to take up a job offer as a domestic worker after receiving a call from an unknown woman, claiming to be a resident of Tsumeb.
“Upon arrival at the Engen service station, she found the two suspects, a man and a lady [her supposedly future employee], who introduced herself as Trespo,” said Shikwambi.
She was taken to the United Nations Park, where Trespo allegedly gave her N$400 to buy food at a nearby shop.
“The male suspect escorted her, while the female suspect remained behind with the baby. While walking together, the male suspect separated from the victim. She (victim) then boarded a taxi to United Nations Park near the Oshikoto Senior Secondary School, where she was supposed to find her baby with the female suspect; however, the lady was nowhere to be found,” she narrated.
The suspect’s phone was unreachable, and she did not know where they lived. When members of the community noticed her crying, they approached her and took her to the police station. A case of kidnapping was opened and postponed to 17 August this year.
– vkaapanda@nepc.com.na