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Rescued children still stranded

Some of the rescued children at Kira Division Police Station in Wakiso. Photo by Abubaker Lubowa
What you need to know:
Last year, Police raided several Madarasas which they said were indoctrinating children in the guise of teaching them Islam
Kampala. Six days since 24 children between two and 12 years were rescued from suspected terror cells, no one has come out to claim them.
Addressing journalists at Kira Divisional Police headquarters, Police spokesperson Fred Enanga appealed to the public to provide information, if any, so that the children can be reunited with their families.
“We want the public to identify these children because their parents have not claimed them to-date. The children are very young, they are missing their childhood and are already detached from the love and care of their parents.”
On March 13, Mr Enanga says police officers raided the home of Hajati Mariam Uthman in Mpoma, Mukono District, and recovered nine children.
The following day, Mr Enanga adds, police raided the home of former ADF operative Hajji Abdul Rashid Mbaziira in Namawojolo, Mukono District, where they recovered 14 children. The children claimed Mbaziira is their father. Police later rescued another child from Namayingo District. They suspect that all the 24 children were being radicalised.
“They were being taught under facilities which are not recognised or licensed. The children were also hardened and indoctrinated by being told who their enemies are,” Mr Enanga says. Both Mbazira, who was granted amnesty in the past when it emerged that he had been part of the ADF and Uthman together with two others are detained in Nalufenya Police Station, in Jinja District for questioning.
Mr Enanga said police was able to recover valuable evidence from the two crime scenes but could not divulge more information citing that the case is under investigation
However, one of the children Daily Monitor interviewed said Mr Mbaziira was their father although they have different mothers.
By age 14, Enanga said the children disappear mysteriously but an investigation was underway to find out their destination.
“We discovered that they are taken out through Buvuma Island to an unknown destination and our investigators are looking into it already.”
Enanga also observed that investigations were still ongoing to find out if the parents of the children were either complicit or turned a blind eye to events that got their children here.
Last year, Police raided several Madarasas which they said were indoctrinating children in the guise of teaching them Islam.