Nurse asked to pay Shs15m ransom for kidnapped son
Missing: Jonathan Lubuulwa, a primary one pupil at Master Cares Christian School in Kyotera District. PHOTO/ COURTESY
What you need to know:
- The victim Jonathan Lubuulwa, a primary one pupil at Master Cares Christian School in Kyotera District is son to Ms Sarah Nabaggala, a nurse at Kamwaanyi HC III in Kyotera Town Council
When Jonathan Lubulwa, 7, walked out of his parents’ home in Kasambya Cell, Kyotera Town on Sunday evening, it was assumed that he was playing with friends around Total Petrol Station.
But the Primary One pupil of Master Cares Christian School in Kyotera Town did not return home that day.
It was later discovered that the boy had been kidnapped and the perpetrators are demanding a ransom of Shs15m for his release
Ms Sarah Nabaggala, Lubulwa’s mother, says: “An hour after the boy went missing, I received a message on my mobile phone asking me to send Shs15m to get my son back. I have reached out to my relatives to try and raise this money but police have discouraged us from doing that. I am worried the kidnappers might kill my son.”
She adds that her son has always played with his friends and nothing of the sort has ever happened to him.
“… his elder sister was watching him. I can’t tell how those people managed to snatch him away,” a visibly terrified Nabaggala says.
She adds that her son spent the better part of Sunday at home.
Mr Hassan Hiwumbire, the Kyotera District Police commander, says detectives are doing everything in their power to find the child.
“A case of child kidnapping has been reported here and our officers are working tirelessly to arrest the culprits. We advise the family to remain calm as detectives do their work,” he says.
He also confirms that they advised the victim’s family against sending money to the kidnappers.
Mr Hiwumbire cautioned parents and guardians to be vigilant because similar cases may occur as the festive season draws closer.
Similar incidents have been happening in Masaka Sub-region where victims have been released after relatives pay the ransom demanded.
On November 20, 2018, a two-year-old girl, Favour Mulungi Wanyana, was kidnapped from her parents’ home in Lwamaggwa Trading Centre, Rakai District.
Her parents, Mike Ssewanyana and Sylvia Nabukenya, were forced to pay Shs4.5m before she was dropped off in Kalisizo Town, about 67 kilometres away.
The money was sent on mobile money to 0701165601 under the name of Martin Kiwanuka.
However, police said the parents’ decision to pay ransom before reporting to police was ill-advised.
Rosemary Nakisekka, a 17-year-old girl from Kigo Village in Kalungu District, was also kidnapped in May 2018 and taken to Kampala.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Shs5m to be sent to Nakisekka’s number.
Unfortunately, by the time the family raised the money, the kidnappers had already killed the victim.
Her body was found in Kinawataka, a city suburb.
On April 15, 2017, a then Rakai statistician attached to the district planning unit, Mr Fred Tamale, was kidnapped on his way to work in Kyotera Town.
His kidnappers took Shs350,000 which he had on him and ordered him to call his friends and relatives to send them another Shs5m for his release.
After getting the money, the kidnappers dropped him off at Villa Maria Trading Centre in Kalungu District.
On March 29, 2019, Julius Amutuhaire, 12, a Primary Six pupil at Kyakahangire Foundation Primary School in Lyantonde District went missing.
A few days later, unidentified people called his family and demanded Shs30m for his release or Shs10m for his body.
As the family was looking for the money, Amutuhaire’s decomposing body was found a month later, a few kilometres from his school.
Compiled by Al-Mahdi Ssenkabirwa, Ambrose Musasizi & Noeline Nabukenya
