Child dies after suspected poisoning in Oshikoto region village

A five-year-old boy is suspected to have died due to poisoning at Onuukulu B village in the Oshikoto Region on Thursday.

According to the region’s crime investigation coordinator, Namibian Police deputy commissioner Titus Ekandjo, the incident occurred around 00h00 and the boy was identified as Tuhafeni Tuyoleni.

“On Tuesday at approximately 15h00, the deceased was left at home with two other children (aged five and 12) while their grandmother went to the shops,” Ekandjo reported.

He said the boy began to complain of a headache while his grandmother was away.

“Upon her return, the child claimed he had fallen from a marula tree, however, upon inspection, the grandmother found no footprints or evidence of a fall,” Ekandjo added.

The boy’s grandmother decided to seek assistance from a traditional healer in the village, but the boy died upon arrival at the traditional healer’s home before receiving any treatment.

“An autopsy conducted on Saturday revealed that the cause of death was poisoning of an unknown nature,” Ekandjo said, adding that an investigation is continuing.

In a separate incident on Friday, a 32-year-old man allegedly ended his own life at Amilema A village in the Oshikoto region’s Omuthiya constituency.

The man has been identified as Fillipus Simon.

He reportedly left home, saying he was going to a neighbour’s house, before his body was discovered by boys who were going to play football, Ekandjo reported.

Simon left no suicide note behind. His next of kin have been informed of his death.