The police in Omusati have asked for medical examination to be carried out on a 25-year-old man who allegedly exhumed his father’s remains and burned his skull to ashes, a stone’s throw from the cemetery.
The incident, which sent shockwaves through the community of Eengolo village, took place last Wednesday around 11h00 at the local cemetery.
Outgoing Omusati police commander Titus Shikongo said the incident was only reported to the police on Monday after the community alerted the police.
Police have since taken the suspect to the hospital to determine the suspect’s mental state.
According to Shikongo, the suspect who is a biological son of the deceased, dug up the grave, removed the father’s skull, and burned it near the cemetery.
He, the suspect, is allegedly a former university student who dropped out a year ago due to financial problems. It is, however, not known what drove him to commit such an appalling crime.
He is due to appear at Outapi Magistrate’s Court today where he will face charges of violating a grave, violating a corpse and defeating the course of justice.
Shikongo said the father, Tuyeni Kaleb Hango (56) was buried in May this year following a gruesome murder by a mentally ill person from the village. He was stabbed 16 times after separating two young men who were fighting at a cuca shop in Eengolo village in the Outapi constituency.
The murder suspect was initially arrested but was eventually released because he is allegedly suffering from an unspecified mental condition.
Shocked, the governor of Omusati Erginus Endjala said he was left speechless by the incident.
“This is the first time I am hearing this type of story. The suspect should be taken to the hospital for mental examination,” he said.
He added that the community is concerned about what the suspect was “trying to practice”.
The governor urged the public to refrain from practising “evil activities” and also to always alert the police, and their traditional leaders on matters of such violations.