Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK – Law enforcement officers have described the gunned down notorious armed robber, Sakaria Amateta also known as ‘Kablou’, as having been a problem to the police.
A member of the Namibian Police Force’s Windhoek special operation team shot Kablou dead at 18h30 on Sunday on Kangueehi Street at a bar in Wanaheda while he (Kablou) allegedly attempted to stab a police officer with a knife.
Namibian Police Force spokesperson Deputy Commissioner Edwin Kanguatjivi said the incident emanated from a robbery of a tourist earlier the same day in Klein Windhoek and the police had gone to arrest Kablou. Kanguatjivi said a post-mortem would indicate where and how many times Kablou was shot.
The deceased’s next of kin have been informed, Kanguatjivi said.
Photos circulating on social media show Kablou lying face down with blood on his back and ground while holding an ‘okapi’ knife in his left hand.
According to City Police records, Kablou had more than 15 cases against him ranging from robbery, armed robbery, house breaking and assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.
According to the City Police’s profiling system, the 32-year-old man’s first case was recorded in 2009 and from there the list has been growing.
City Police files also indicate that Kablou was sentenced to two years imprisonment for housebreaking and was released in 2014 on remission.
“All criminals effective in criminal activities are profiled. We know who they are, where they stay, who they stay with, etc,” stated City Police public relations officer, Edmund Khoaseb. “He is a notorious criminal. Windhoek has notorious criminals committing the same offence over and over.”
Khoaseb added that Kablou also had his vehicles profiled, a RunX and Jetta 2. New Era learnt that an Audi, which belonged to Kablou, was parked at the City Police premises after a City Police officer shot at his vehicle when he (Kablou) showed up at an officer’s residence wanting to attack him.
In addition, City Police Superintendent Eliaser Iiyambo said Kablou was a well-known criminal. “I am not saying what happened (to him) is good but I am highlighting his activities when he was alive. He was a problem to the police. Whoever is challenging what I am saying, I can show him the records,” stated Iiyambo.
Iiyambo said some years back during an arrest Kablou wanted to cut a City Police officer with a panga but later surrendered when police fired warning shots.
New Era could not confirm Kablou’s links to a Windhoek notorious gang known as Boko Haram Windhoek but law enforcement officers said some boys who stole from motor vehicles and had graduated to armed robbery were close to him.