By Kaleb Nghishidivali
ONGWEDIVA, Sept. 4 – Tragedy struck in the early hours of Sunday, September 3rd, 2023, when a 27-year-old man, identified as Johannes Pombili Iipinge, lost his life following a confrontation with a security guard at Club ACE in Ongwediva.
According to the Oshana regional police spokesperson, Inspector Thomas Aiyambo, who released the police report today, the incident unfolded at approximately 04:40 a.m. Iipinge, a resident of Onawa village in Ongwediva, was reportedly causing disturbances and attempting to steal from customers inside Club ACE.
Club employees and the security guard intervened, leading to Iipinge’s removal from the premises due to his unruly behaviour. However, matters took a dire turn when Iipinge attacked the security guard outside the club, wielding an Okapi knife.
Inspector Aiyambo described the situation: “In an attempt to defuse the situation, the security guard fired a warning shot into the ground. Despite this, Iipinge continued moving towards the guard while brandishing the knife.”
Fearing for his safety, the security guard was left with no choice but to fire a shot, which struck Iipinge in the stomach and knee. Johannes Pombili Iipinge was rushed to Oshakati State Hospital but was later pronounced dead.
Authorities have since notified his next of kin.
The security guard involved in the incident is a 29-year-old Namibian male employed by Omambundu Security Services in Ongwediva. A Pietro Beretta pistol of 7.65 calibre, bearing serial number E19966w and containing one round in the magazine, was recovered at the scene.
The preliminary investigation has not led to the arrest of the guard, as the case docket will be submitted to the court for a decision by the Public Prosecutor. As the investigation continues, authorities are diligently working to gather more information and ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident at Club ACE in Ongwediva.- Namibia Daily News
