Allexer Namundjembo
A police officer stationed at the Goma Police Station in the Zambezi region was arrested on Saturday for opening a holding cell, which led to the escape of five trial awaiting prisoners.
The Zambezi Regional Police Commander, Commissioner Andreas Shilelo, confirmed the incident, revealing that two Namibians and three Zambians were among the escapees.
Shilelo said the officer acted alone and failed to inform fellow officers before opening the holding cell.
“The inmates did not use force to escape. They simply fled after the cell was opened,” he said.
By Monday, four of the five escapees were re-arrested.
The remaining Namibian escapee, one of the Namibians, was located in Botswana, and the police are actively pursuing him.
“We are now conducting a serious manhunt for the remaining one. Since he is Namibian, it should be easier to trace him,” Shilelo added.
The escapees were held on charges, including rape and possession of drugs.
Shilelo said the officer involved will be charged.
“We will charge the officer immediately,” he said.
Shilelo said the police had not yet looked into the officer’s ties to the inmates, but the issue would be fully investigated.
“We haven’t yet investigated the connection between the officer and the escapees, but we will. What I can tell you now is that the officer, whose name cannot be released at this time, will be dealt with according to the law. Police regulations are clear on this,” Shilelo said.
This is not the first escape incident in the region.
Last year, Shilelo confirmed an investigation into the escape of 12 trial awaiting inmates who smuggled saw blades into their cells.
Shilelo said the inmates had meticulously planned their escape, using ropes made from blankets and saw blades.
The cut through the roof while construction work was underway.
The escape, discovered the next morning, involved 12 inmates who were housed with 109 other trial awaiting prisoners.
Only four were re-arrested.
Shilelo said the inmates used distractions, including loud noise, to cover their actions.
“We admit that the smuggling of saw blades into the facility was a weakness on our part. However, we are focusing on ensuring that such incidents do not happen again,” he said.
Shilelo added that efforts to trace the remaining escapees continue.
“We are working hard to re-arrest the remaining escapees, but it may be challenging, especially since five of them are Zambians. We’ve sent a team to Zambia for assistance in locating them,” Shilelo said.
