The Joint Security Task Team has bust a notorious gang linked to a spate of murders in western Uganda.
Describing it as the ruthless gang, Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) spokesperson Charles Twine said they mainly target businessmen, whom they waylay, rob and later kill.
The suspects netted in a recent security operation have been identified as Alleluya Barnabas from Kabale, Deus Ahimbisibwe from Kinoni in Mbarara, and Herbert Mutambi of Kyeizoba in Bushenyi.
The trio was nabbed following the murder of the Ntoroko district chairperson, Jepherson Kabagambe, who was reported missing on September 2.
Twine said a joint security team heightened the pursuit of the people who kidnapped and killed Kabagambe.
“Using the anti-crime infrastructure of police surveillance cameras that are hosted in Fort Portal town and our robust intelligence team, we were able to identify the motor vehicle Reg No. UAZ 658T Toyota Wish that was apparently used by the kidnappers,” he noted yesterday during a joint security press conference.
The briefing is held weekly at Naguru Police headquarters in Kampala.
According to CID, the owner of the vehicle was arrested and, during interrogation, he indicated that at the time of the robbery and kidnap, his vehicle had been hired out to Barnabas, whose contact he gave the Police.
“Our teams used the contacts to track down all suspects, who at interrogation confessed to having kidnapped and murdered Kabagambe,” Twine added.
HOW THEY KILLED KABAGAMBE
Twine stressed that their (suspects) consistent narrative indicated that on the fateful day, Barnabas approached the deceased at Centenary Bank, Fort Portal and offered him a lift to Ntoroko, as they claimed they were going to Bundibugyo.
The unsuspecting Kabagambe is said to have accepted the offer.
“He boarded the vehicle and they drove towards Bundibugyo Road, but immediately made a U-turn at Lwengoma on the Fort Portal[1]Bundibugyo road,” Twine said.
The suspects are said to have demanded money from Kabagambe, threatening to kill him if he did not comply.
“Although the deceased pleaded with them, they could not listen. They insisted that he uses his phone to get sh10m. The deceased rang some people, including his son, to have the money sent via mobile money.
Unfortunately, before they would send it, Kabagambe was strangled to death, using the vehicle’s seatbelt,” Twine said.
Kabagambe’s body was later found in Kibubura in Ibanda district and was identified by the Ibanda Police Commander through their WhatsApp co-ordination platform, where Fort Portal had reported a missing person.
LINKED TO A SPATE OF MURDERS
Twine said the suspects further confessed to being part of a spate of murders, including the one of Meleth Nasinde, a businesswoman in her early 30s, who was picked from Ishongororo in Ibanda.
“She had just withdrawn sh5m. Using the same trick, they lured her into their car and strangled her immediately she entered, then took off with the money and her phone. The body was dumped on the Mbarara bypass,” he said.
The Police have further identified
two more victims they say were strangled by the same group, including a medical doctor and another unidentified person, both of whom were admitted in critical condition at Mbarara Hospital.
Twine said an identification parade was made and other forensic pieces of evidence were extracted from them. He added that they are now being processed for court on multiple charges of murder and aggravated robberies.
Twine noted that the gang is also associated with several other murders that have been reported in Rwizi, Kigezi and Rwenzori region.
The same group is also said to have confessed to murdering Fred Kaggwa, a businessman in Lwengo district, who was also lured from Lyantonde.
Appeal
The Police appealed to all Ugandans to avoid boarding Vehicles that are not marked as Licensed taxis. ” We appeal to authorities to ensure that these other types of cars that are operating as taxis are marked so as to indentify the legitimate operators,” Twine said.
He also urged businesspeople to install cameras at their premises to help them indetify potential Criminals
HISTORY OF CRIMINALITY
Twine noted that their investigations and records show that the gang has a history of criminality.
“In 2009, Barnabas and Mutamba were arrested and charged with crimes of murder and aggravated robbery. They were given a sentence of only eight years. They completed heir sentence, but before the ink that was written releasing them had even dried, they had already descended on Ugandans,” he added.
