Africa-Press – Namibia. THE 25-year-old Engelbrecht Hamutenya, the Senior Pastor of the Victory Church at the Mutengo Village near Nkurenkuru in the Kavango West Region, is on the run in the wake of the deaths of three of his congregants.
According to the incident report provided by the Public Relations Division of the Namibian Police, three people died after a poisonous concoction was pumped into their bodies via a tube through their anal orifices.
A fourth congregant of the church is in a desperate fight for her life in the Nankundu State Hospital after each of the victims had a mixture of salt, vinegar and methylated spirits introduced into their bodies.
The 37-year-old Ndumba Evaristus Ntamba, the 45-year-old Ndumba Robertha Nangombe, and the 21-year-old Simbaranda Hilka Kapango died a few hours after the poisonous mixed was pumped into their bodies.
A 39-year-old woman has been admitted to the hospital in a critical condition. All the victims hail from the Kasivi Village in the Kapako Constituency. According to the incident report, the four congregants went to the church in Mutengo on Tuesday to attend a “healing ceremony”.
They attended a church service during which the deadly concoction, which was prescribed by Hamutenya, was administered by an assistant pastor of the Victory Church.
After taking the “medicine”, the four congregants went to their tents to rest. After arriving at their tents, they suddenly started having diarrhoea and cried out in pain.
Several hours later, three of them died while still laying in their tents. The only survivor was rushed to the Nankundu State Hospital. The assistant pastor was eventually detained for questioning.
According to the report, the assistant pastor, as well as the fleeing pastor, will eventually be charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
Upon his arrest, the assistant pastor told investigating officers that he made and administered the mixture on the instruction of Pastor Hamutenya. The detectives also confiscated what remained of the deadly concoction.
The head of NamPol’s Public Relations Division, Deputy Commissioner Kauna Shikwambi, encouraged Namibians to seek professional medical assistance which is readily available instead of consulting pastors or witchdoctors for help.
“Life is precious and cannot be gambled with,” Shikwambi said. The Namibian Police has requested the public to assist them in tracing Pastor Hamutenya.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Senior Pastor Hamutenya is requested to contact Deputy Commissioner Abner Agas at 081 124 2649 or the nearest Police Station.
