Katima Mulilo
Notorious fugitive Nine Masule, who has been on the run for six months sfollowing his escape from custody in October last year, has been arrested – reportedly in Zambia.
Masule gained notoriety and became an urban legend in recent months as he has apparently been posting audio clips on social media, threatening “to deal with” the police and their informers.
There was a N$10 000 reward offered for information that leads to his arrest and Masule reportedly threatened to kill anyone who informed on him. The same message was sent to the police.
The police were not willing to share information on how exactly he was captured, but sources in the know said he was arrested by members of the Zambian police, who then informed their Namibian counterparts about the whereabouts of Masule.
When news surfaced that Masule had finally been captured hundreds of Katima Mulilo residents flocked to the local police station to see the man, who has been giving them sleepless nights for the past six months. There had been rumours suggesting he was armed with a military-issue AK-47 assault rifle at the time of his capture.
Hundreds of people swarmed the police station, but could not get a glimpse of him, as he was under heavy police protection.
Deputy Police Commissioner Robert Sanjahi could not be persuaded to answer questions from the media on how Masule was captured. “I cannot say anything at this moment, as that might jeopardise ongoing investigations. All I can say is that we have arrested him and he is still just a suspect and should be treated as such,” Sanjahi stated.
Pressed to clear the rumours that the fugitive was arrested in Zambia by the Zambian police, where he was allegedly severely beaten – as blood stains were visible on his shirt and his face was swollen – Sanjahi simply said: “Obviously we used a bit of force when we arrested him, but that’s all I can say for now. We will issue a statement later on.”
He assured journalists that Masule – who appeared bruised – would receive medical attention. He, however, denied that the fugitive was arrested by the Zambian police. “His picture was everywhere and we have a close working relationship with Zambia. I cannot deny that we got assistance from them, but it was just a source,” he said.
There was an audio recording doing the rounds a few weeks ago in which Masule allegedly threatened police officers and residents who reported him, but the police downplayed the significance of the recording, saying it was “a fabrication”.
Masule is a suspect in two murder cases, as well as two instances of rape and three housebreaking cases. He will face an additional charge of escaping from police custody. For now, he remains firmly behind bars. Sanjahi said he is likely to be appear in court on Monday.