OSHAKATI – A 28-year-old female student at the University of Namibia’s Oshakati campus fought tooth and nail against a couple of thieves who tried to rob her while in a supposed taxi.
The incident took place on Monday around 21h30.
According to Oshana police spokesperson Thomas Aiyambo, the young woman fell prey to the robbers when she took a taxi from Unam campus in Oshakati to Ehenye. The taxi that only had one male passenger turned out to be a fake one with fake number plates.
Aiyambo said the suspects made a stop at Bank Windhoek in Oshakati where the driver attempted to make an ATM withdrawal.
He then got back in the car and drove alongside Okahao road. A few moments later, the male passenger allegedly started demanding the student’s ATM card at knifepoint while hitting her with his fists.
“The victim started fighting and screaming, and broke the vehicle’s window by kicking it in the process,” he said.
Aiyambo said a passer-by noticed the screaming woman and alerted the police immediately.
The police managed to catch up with the thieves at Othingo village but they drove back towards Oshakati where they eventually fled from the vehicle on foot, abandoning it with the woman inside at Uupindi location.
According to Aiyambo, the victim sustained minor injuries as she was cut by the window and due to the assault.
Both suspects are still at large and police are urging the public to help tracing the pair. One of them is only identified as Shivu.
In another robbery incident, a 49-year-old Chinese national was robbed of N$6 600 in cash, a Huawei P30 cellphone valued at N$1 4630 and a driver’s licence.
The robbery took place on Monday around 09h00 at Okapana Service Station in Ondangwa.
According to the police, three unknown suspects, armed with pistols, grabbed the victim from behind, fired one shot, and grabbed his properties. The suspects fled the scene in a white VW Jetta 6, suspected to be the getaway vehicle that was later found abandoned without number plates or a licence disc at an accommodation facility in Ongwediva.
Police are also in search of a Mazda sedan, which is suspected to have also been involved in a crime. The vehicle is either dark blue or black in colour with a registration number N 38046 SH.