Police rescue seven year- old boy in aborted kidnap deal

LUWEERO. Police and its sister security agencies have successfully rescued a juvenile from a kidnap gang in Luweero District that had demanded Shs7m ransom from the parents to have their child released.

The suspects who claim to be members of the 3 Star gang , kidnapped seven year -old Amos Matovu as he left home for Wobulenzi town where his father works.

This was reportedly after coercing him to escort them to a nearby shop where they could buy him a wrist watch on September 6.

To fulfill their mission, the suspects quickly put the boy on a waiting boda-boda and took him to Sekamuli village in Bamunanika Sub-county.

“The suspects after the kidnap of the boy called the parents demanding for Shs7m to have the boy released. The police in Luweero alerted the kidnap response centre and the UPDF signal department that quickly located the coordinates where the suspects engaged the parents to have the ransom money delivered for the safety of the victim,” said Mr Ahmed Musekana, the Luweero District Police Commander.

“The operation later yielded fruit with the arrest of three of the suspects including the fourth suspect who had relocated to Ssekamuli Village in Bamunanika Sub-County with the child,” Mr Musekana added.

However, the suspects claim they had no ill intentions, but only wanted money from the boy’s father Mr Patrick Muwonge.

The group reportedly operate from two known cells located in Wobulezi town and Sekamuli village respectively.

Luweero District Resident Commissioner ,Ms Phoebe Namulindwa says the quick response by parents to alert the police when they realized that their child had gone missing, saved the victim who was still in good health at the time of rescue.

“It is surprising that the suspects claim to know the father and that he could easily mobilize for more than Shs20m, but decided to ask for only Shs7m. It is also interesting that even after the arrest of the first three suspects, the fourth suspect identified as Lamula Habiba kept making calls demanding for the money up to the time she was located and rounded up at her rented room in Wapamba Zone, Wobulenzi Town Council,” MS Namulindwa said.

The suspects are all youth who claim to be members of a criminal gang. We appeal to parents to religiously monitor the movement of their children and ensure that cases of missing children are quickly reported to police,” she added.

The suspects who include; David Mutyaba, Ashraf Kakembo, Sam Ssempijja and Lamula Habiba face charges of child kidnap and will be produced before Courts of law when investigations are complete.