Police employ CCTV footage to trace killers of Ntoroko boss

Police detectives have used closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to apprehend three people who kidnapped and killed Ntoroko District chairperson Japheth Kabagambe Ahebwa last Thursday. 

Ahabwe’s corpse was later dumped near River Mpanga. The river valley marks the border between Kamwenge and Ibanda districts. 

Police used CCTV footage procured from private properties of businessmen in the district to sketch the movement of the killers from Centenary Bank, Fort Portal Branch.

The footage showed Ahabwe was known to the killers, who offered him a lift. They then diverted their car to River Mpanga where he was killed. The police also used the CCTV footage to trace the car in which the assailants used.

“After we impounded the vehicle, we then embarked on tracing the owner who was arrested. After the arrested, we looked for the people who were using the car on the fateful day,” Mr Lameck Kigozi, the Rwenzori West regional police commander, said yesterday.

Motive of killing

Police have also established that Ahabwe’s killing was not politically motivated. The assailants are said to have wanted money from the National Resistance Movement official. 

Mr Kigozi said the police learnt of Ahabwe’s disappearance from his friend Michael Kadoma. The latter was also at the bank premises when the former was kidnapped.

According to Kigozi, after kidnapping Ahabwe, they bundled him into the car. Mr Kadoma got suspicious when Ahabwe called him requesting that he need Shs2 million to use urgently. 

Police say the suspects had a criminal record. Last year, they participated in a similar kidnaps in Mbarara District where they were arrested and sentenced.