Suspected leader of assailants in police attacks captured- sources
Police seal off Kyabadaza police station in Butambala District in central Uganda as scene of crime officers gather evidence following an alleged attack by unknown assailants riding on a motorcycle on December 10, 2022. PHOTOS/Brian Adams Kesiime
What you need to know:
- In his televised address on November 20, President Museveni said the attacks on police posts were carried out by individual criminals and ADF rebels, but some of the culprits were either arrested or killed.
Police have captured a man they suspect is the leader of a group of assailants that has been attacking police stations in Uganda especially in the central region.
The suspect who is yet to be identified was arrested by Crime Intelligence teams at Nyendo, Masaka City in central Uganda, highly placed sources said on Sunday.
According to a police source, the suspect is now cooperating with security personnel to recover weapons stolen or used during the attacks in different hideouts.
"We have recovered a multiple purpose gun called PK and other weapons that the group was using," a source said.
The group is said to have attacked Busiiika Police Station, Kyabadaaza Police Station and also killed Bukwo Chief Administrative Officer in Matugga.
There has been a growing spate of attacks on security installations and personnel mainly targeting police officers, which Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Geoffrey Katsigazi, recently blamed on a so-called Uganda Coalition for Change rebel group.
“The problem of attacking police posts and taking guns is a deliberate effort by a group of people who seem to think they can change the government by force. So, it’s no longer the same criminals who come and attack with machetes and rob. This is mainly to kill and take guns,” Katsigazi, a two-star military general parachuted as second-in-command in police, said on November 4.
In his televised address on November 20, President Museveni said the attacks on police posts were carried out by individual criminals and ADF rebels, but some of the culprits were either arrested or killed.
“It is really foolish that you can commit crimes in Uganda, under the National Resistance Movement, and you survive,” he said. “Anybody who kills people will be arrested or killed if he resists arrest,” he added.
Mr Museveni said the attacks left a lot of evidence at the crime scenes that was used to track them down.
“No one should get worried about these groups,” he said, adding that the army and the police would deal with them.
