Police blame mosque raid on fake intelligence, release suspects

Kampala. Police have admitted that they acted on false intelligence when they raided a city mosque where at least 12 people, including seven Indians, were arrested, detained and questioned for hours.
Police, without any search warrant returned on Friday morning to conduct a search operation at Kiwatule mosque where scene-of-crime officers recovered a number of items. Police have not declared the items.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Emilian Kayima, told Sunday Monitor on Friday afternoon that police acted on information from local sources which was later found to be untrue.

Mr Kayima explained that some residents who he did not mention had informed police that some people of Asian origin were involved in suspicious activities which prompted the Force to move in on the mosque and arrest Muslims who had come for the 8pm prayer also called “Isha”.
“Some of the vigilant locals became concerned about foreigners not known by the community who were living at the mosque. People were suspicious about what they could carry and do in the night,” Mr Kayima said.

The raid
Acting on the false alarm, police’s Flying Squad Unit (FSU) swung into action and sealed off the mosque on Thursday from 8:30pm untill Friday 11am when overt and covert security operatives left.
Mr Kayima, without any apology to the Muslim community, said police had scrutinised the suspects and realised they were legal visitors invited by the Old Kampala based Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) leadership.
Police discovered that the suspects’ arrival and stay in the country had been to relevant offices, including that of the Internal Affairs minister and Inspector General of Police, Gen Kale Kayihura.

The eight Indians from New Delhi, the capital city of India initially thought to be Pakistanis were picked alongside five Ugandans, including Sheikh Yunus Kabuye, the mosque’s leader and detained at an undisclosed location without any charge.
“We found nothing of crime value at the mosque,” Mr Kayima said.
“We interacted with all the suspects and realised they were invited by UMSC. We have released them uncharged,” he added.
The Ugandan suspects included Sheikh Kabuye, the mosque Imam, Mr Muhammad Nakayenga, Mr Badru Kakooza, Mr Musa Lubega and Mr Ibrahim Kizito.

The Indian suspects included Mr Mohammed Shameem Khan, Mr Sufiyan Ahmed Ansari, Mr Siraj Ahmed Bashir, Mr Mohamad Mobin Shaikh, Mr Mohammad Shariq, Mr Nazeer Ahmad Aziz and Mr Abdu Ssalam.
Mr Dawda Wateka the vice chairman of Development Community Masjid Abubakar Swidiiq and Mr Farouq Nyanzi a youth leader at the mosque, condemned the police raid.
“Had the police come during day time, it would have discovered the truth than arresting our people for nothing. Police should always involve leaders. It is shameful that police can operate on rumours,” Mr Wateka said.

The Kiwatule mosque raid came exactly two days after a joint team of security forces raided Nakasero Mosque at night and arrested at least 18 people. Police later released a list of the suspects which was disowned by the Muslims as fake. The police list included non-Muslims.
IGP Kayihura said the raid at Nakasero mosque was as a result of information revealed by a Muslim suspect in the murder of Maj Muhammad Kiggundu. Maj Kiggundu was shot dead on November 26 at Masanafu Trading Centre in Kampala.
Sheikh Miladu Kaluuma, a member of Nakasero mosque executive and Mr Siraje Kifamba, the acting Nakasero mosque spokesperson, condemned the raid on the two mosques. They have asked Parliament to intervene in what they described as Muslim witchhunting and disrespect of their places of worship.

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