Meten-Meer-Zorg robbery victim was shot while warning of gunmen

Sep 12, 2013 News

…bandits make off with charity and orphan money

In the course of raising an alarm when six armed bandits stormed the 76 Third Street Meten–Meer–Zorg home and business place of the Namdar family, 27-year-old Zulficar ‘Vicky’ Namdar was shot once to his upper body.
To ensure that he would not be a problem, another gunshot aimed at him, missed. That is the bullet Stephen Mohamed, believes struck him in the left thigh and exited.

Zulficar Namdar and wife in happier times

The 17-year-old student, who has been working part-time for only a week in Namdar’s grocery shop, is still shaken by Tuesday night’s robbery. He told Kaieteur News that his employer was shot just as he was about to warn him about the gunman pointing the gun in their direction.
He said that Namdar was getting change for a customer when the gunmen shouted, “Nobody don’t move.” That was before ordering Namdar’s two friends who were seated on a bench outside the shop to go on the ground and hand over their cell phones. Namdar was still in front of the money drawer Mohamed said.
“When ‘Vicky’ was handling de change, he push he hand to put back de money and de bandit see that, and fire a shot through the mesh.” The gunshot, Mohamed stated, came just as Namdar was about to say ‘duck.’ “His body dropped in front of me, and I began leaning on the wall cause I get shot.”
While two of the gunmen manned the narrow street in front of the Namdar’s, two remained in the shop area with Namdar’s friends still face down on the ground. Two more entered the yard, where they met Namdar’s mother, 48-year-old Fazila Namdar and Carlo Ussuf, another one of the family’s employees.
All the while, the bandits were discharging shots in front of the premises, Ussuf said. He said he was in the backyard eating at a table and thought that youngsters were letting off fire crackers. That soon changed when the masked men came towards him. “Dem thought I was de boss man cause dem keep asking me wheh de money deh. I tell he I ain’t know; I don’t live hay.”
The gunmen were not convinced, Ussuf told Kaieteur News, because one of them cocked the handgun and placed it behind Ussuf’s head. He said that he is positive he would have been dead if Mrs. Namdar did not say, “No no, nah shoot um; Is me get de money. Me gun give you everything.”

Family and friends pray at the Namdar premises.

Mrs. Namdar told Kaieteur News that she only realized it was a robbery when they started to ‘ruff up’ Ussuf.
She said that she had the money in the lower flat of the building. “Me go to get de key but me nah know if is fright, but de key fall out me hand and when me bend down to pick it up dem lash me behind me head and seh hurry up; time going.” Not even the passports did they leave behind the woman said.
Fifty-year old Goolza Namdar, a popular Commissioner of Oaths in West Demerara area and the Regional Vice President of the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) said that the bandits made off with more than $1M in charity and orphan money. They also took jewelry and important documents.
The senior Namdar said that he was preparing for the last prayer of the day according to his Muslim customs when he heard the commotion in the yard. He said he remained calm and did not give away his position, but was gravely concerned about his grandson who was running around asking for him.
Senior Namdar was still unaware that his son was shot. He told Kaieteur News that he is a licensed firearm holder, but that weapon was in the upper flat. Fighting to hold back tears, Namdar said he was speechless because he heard the gunshots but never thought they had killed someone. “I thought it was just warning shots.”
“There is no untimely death. We believe that what is ordain for you, you will surely have it. “ He is however distraught at the increase of criminal activities taking place.
For him, security will now be a major issue for his family. “When we go any part of this world, in the US, Suriname, Trinidad, we always love Guyana. Guyana has a lot of potential but why is it so, when you cannot live happily, you always wonder because security is very poor.”

The front of the shop where young Namdar was shot.

“Police vehicles breakdown or something happen that prevents us from getting security.” Namdar said he is not contemplating packing up and leaving, but the situation is forcing many Guyanese to leave the country.
“Do the politicians know that our lives are important?” We could give everything we have but leave our children, leave our mothers and our grandchildren.”
Some residents told Kaieteur News that they do not feel safe in their homes. One of Namdar’s neighbours said, when he heard the gunshots, he immediately closed his shop door. One of his relatives spoke about the bushy areas and called for increased police presence.
She said that it was the same way gunmen gunned down her uncle in the same street in 2002. Since then, the community was cleared of tall bushes and never again, she said.