How Greenhill pupils were duped into fake business

All factors of production – capital, labour, land and entrepreneurship – seemed vivid for three pupils of Greenhill Primary School, Buwate, a Kampala suburb.

The trio, aged between 13 and 14, considered themselves lucky to have an opportunity to study with a generous child of a rich ambassador, who agreed to fund their online mobile phone business and also host them at his home in Entebbe Municipality, Wakiso District.

However, their business collapsed before it could take off on Monday after they realised that the supposedly rich schoolmate had sold them a fake story that left them stranded in Entebbe, more than 60 kilometres from their school.

Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said the pupils were duped.

“The pupil told his three friends that his father was a diplomat and was out of the country. He continued that he was making a lot of money by selling phones online and he would help them join the business. They believed him and took his advice. We found out that all these stories were false,” he said.

Mr Owoyesigyire said the pupils then hatched a plan to escape.

“The pupil told his colleagues that they would stay at his father’s home in Entebbe as they conduct the business. He even gave them an ATM card that they would use to withdraw money from an ATM in Entebbe,” he said.

However, the pupil, who claimed to be a child of a diplomat, did not go with his colleagues, but hired for them a taxi through Uber application.

“One of the pupils telephoned the Uber driver and he claimed to be the father of children travelling to Entebbe. The Uber driver drove them to Entebbe Township,” he said.

However, when they attempted to use the ATM card, they failed and ended up stuck in the night.

“The pupils deceived the guard at the ATM in Entebbe that they had been kidnapped, prompting him to reach out to the police. The police officers picked the children and called the school administration only to discover that they had conjured the kidnap story,” he said.

Kasangati Police Station had earlier received a statement reporting missing children.

The father of the pupil, who deceived his school mates, has recorded a statement with the police and refuted being a diplomat.

Mr Owoyesigyire said the children were released without a charge.

Greenhill Primary School management yesterday issued a statement indicating that the children left school after they had been signed out by their parents.

In viral audio, one of the parents of the victims wondered how their children were able to use smartphones to carry out such plans.

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