Africa-Press – Namibia. SEVERAL officers from Gobabis have been deployed to Leonardville to assist local officers in preventing violent residents from freeing a person that was legally detained on charges of selling alcohol without the proper licensing.
The Inspector General of the Namibian Police, Lieutenant General Sebastian Ndeitunga, confirmed that unruly residents from Leonardville attacked the police station as darkness fell over the town after the person who was caught selling alcohol illegally was detained in the holding cells.
“The mob descended upon the police station and started throwing rocks at the building. Some even entered the premises and attempted to free the arrested person and chaos erupted. Several windows of the police station were broken and the officers on duty had to fight off unruly elements,” Ndeitunga said.
According to the general, the desperate police officers called in the help of the local reservists to remove the unruly mob from the police station and the yard.
“I assume that some warning shots were fired to disperse the crowd but so far no serious injuries of either the officers or from the ranks of the unruly civilians have been reported,” he said.
General Ndeitunga said that he has issued orders that a unit of Special Reserve Force officers from Gobabis should rush to Leonardville to reinforce the police station that has been under siege as soon as he was informed about the incident.
“I have also ordered that more reinforcements be sent from Windhoek to assist with returning calm in Leonardville. I have also given instructions that every person that caused damage to the police station be arrested,” he said.
General Ndeitunga indicated that the situation in Leonardville is still very volatile.
He also gave the assurance that the unruly mob did not succeed in freeing the person that was arrested earlier.
“People should refrain from taking the law into their own hands. People who attack Namibian Police officers will be dealt with harshly,” the general warned.
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