Omusati police have so far arrested only two of the six trial-awaiting inmates who escaped from lawful custody at the Okalongo Police holding cells on Sunday, 24 May.

The two arrested are Awala Johannes, who was arrested in Omungwelume today, and Immanuel Eliaser, an Angolan national who was arrested yesterday.

It is alleged that the six inmates overpowered two male police officers while food and medication were being issued to inmates by removing the cell keys from one of the officers and handcuffing them.

The suspects then locked the two officers inside the cells and waited for the charge office door leading to the cells to be opened by the shift commander.

The shift commander reportedly became suspicious after the two officers took a long time to return to the charge office and went to check on them.

She was allegedly ambushed by the suspects, who forced her and other officers into a corner inside the charge office while demanding cellphones and firearms.

The suspects allegedly assaulted the police officers, took the strongroom keys and pointed a pistol at one of the four female police officers in the charge office while demanding a vehicle key.

They then allegedly opened the strongroom, removed firearms, and fled the premises.

The suspects reportedly escaped with one AK-47 assault rifle, four pistols, one cellphone belonging to the charge office, and four cellphones belonging to the victimised police officers.

The four suspects still at large are:
Nestor Shitaleni Kornelius, a Namibian national;
Nicodemus Junias, a Namibian national;
Amukwaya Mateus, a Namibian national;
Festus Paulus, a Namibian.

The suspects were in custody as trial-awaiting inmates on charges including rape, robbery with aggravating circumstances, housebreaking with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, assault through threatening, read with the Domestic Violence Act, possession of arms and ammunition, and escape from lawful custody.

Omusati Police Commander Commissioner Ismael Basson warned that his teams are on the ground, ready to hunt them down and re-arrest them all.