Iganga robber shot dead, smoking gun missing
What you need to know:
- According to Rogers Waiswa, an eyewitness, the suspect was killed in a nearby rice plantation where the group had taken cover.
A suspected armed robber has been shot dead in Igamba village in Iganga municipality after being caught in crossfire with police.
The suspect identified by police only as Tenywa, a resident of Jinja Town, is believed to have been part of the
in a shootout after reportedly robbing Shs95m from a warehouse along Kaliro Road in Iganga Town.
While being pursued by police, the robbers, said to be armed with an AK47 assault rifle, abandoned their get-away car by the roadside and fled into a nearby sugarcane plantation, leaving part of the heist in their wake.
In the aftermath of the Wednesday shootout, police said they managed to arrest one of the suspects and recover Shs41m of the Shs95m that had been robbed from employees of the warehouse who were en route to the bank.
“The thugs had taken cover in the sugarcane plantation and in the shootout we managed to kill Tenywa,” Busoga East police spokesperson, Mr James Mubi said, adding that a police manhunt is underway for the third suspect believed to be prowling the plantation with a gun.
“We are badly in need of him and the illegal gun which they are using in criminal activities,” Mr Mubi said of the elusive fugitive.
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According to Rogers Waiswa, an eyewitness, the suspect was killed in a nearby rice plantation where the group had taken cover.
“The suspects had sneaked out of the cane plantation and taken cover in the nearby rice plantation where one of them was shot,” he said.
Adding: “There was heavy exchange of gunshots until one of them was overpowered.”
Another eyewitness who asked not to be named said: “I thank police for killing the suspect. Cases of robbery have been on the increase and I believe this will serve as an example to the rest.”
Residents of Igamba village have however expressed fear about the third suspect who is on the prowl with a loaded gun and have asked police to intensify on the manhunt.
The body of the suspect was taken to Iganga Hospital mortuary as investigations continue.