Two lynched over theft of boda-boda motorcycles in Mpigi
What you need to know:
- Over 80 motorcycles have been stolen in Mpigi, Butambala and Gomba districts in the last nine months
Police in Mpigi District are investigating a mob justice case after two suspected boda-boda motorcycle thieves were killed on Friday evening.
The incident happened at around 3.30pm in Bboza village, Mpigi Town Council in Mpigi District along the Mpigi - Gomba highway.
According to a one Ibrah Kajubi, a boda-boda cyclist in Kabasanda trading centre, two men attacked two of their colleagues at Kabasanda Boda-boda Stage in Butambala District, with machete and hammers before they stole two motorcycles; Bajaj Boxer registration number UEB 028Y and UEA 912F.
"Fortunately, these thieves didn't injure anybody but they were tactful to the point of getting two of our motorcycles from the stage. We alerted our friends in Mpigi through phone calls, and eventually the thieves were tracked and intercepted," Mr Kajubi said.
It's reported that boda-boda cyclists, after receiving reports of the stolen motorcycles, used sticks, stones and iron bars to beat and kill the suspects.
"By the time we reached at the scene of crime, the duo had already breathed their last and their bodies dumped in the water trench on the roadside. We condemn such acts of mob justice because it's illegal to kill someone before being prosecuted. We are hunting for the culprits to answer to charges of murder," Mr Joseph Tulya, Katonga Regional Police Spokesperson said.
The bodies were taken to Gombe Hospital mortuary for postmortem as police investigations continue.
Police records show at least 16 cases of mob justice against suspected boda-boda robbers have been recorded in the last nine months in Mpigi, Butambala and Gomba districts, and over 80 motorcycles were stolen, with the owners either injured or killed before taking their motorcycles.
