Police in Sembabule district have arrested eight people suspected of masterminding the horrific murder of two children.
The suspects are accused of kidnapping and, subsequently murdering the deceased.
According to SP Kasirye Twaha, the greater Masaka regional police spokesperson one child was kidnapped on June 10, 2024, and the other on 02 July 2024.
SP Twaha identified the deceased as Julius Asiimwe who was reportedly kidnapped on June 10, 2024, around 8:00 PM, and Junju Andrew, a 6-year-old who was abducted on his way home from St. Herman Kasana Primary School on July 3rd.
“It was on Monday, July 8, 2024, that we made a breakthrough and apprehended eight suspects. The suspects had earlier been demanding ransom,” Twaha said.
He identified the suspects in police custody as Mutebi Isaac, 17, a pupil at Kasana Muslim Primary School; Tumwebaze Elli, 18, a student of S.3 at Matete Comprehensive Secondary School; Nalukola Hassan (prime suspect), 50, a peasant from Kasana “A,” Matete Town Council.
Others include Sebunya Muhamed, 36, Amon Twinomujuni, 47, Muwonge Matayo, 48, Musanje Ahamed, 29, and Kasaga Peter, 45.
Mushirini Muwonge, the chairperson LCI of Nakatooke village on July 9, 2024, said the suspects first demanded Shs40 million from the parents before murdering them.
He adds that Isaac confessed to having kidnapped the child and later handed them to Nalukola.
Muwonge said the matter was reported to the police, which immediately embarked on tracking the suspects.
“The house that was raided belonged to Nalukola, a resident of Kasaana village in Mateete Sub County, Sembabule district. Security was led to the house by one Isaac, a boda boda operator,” said Muwonge.
Muwonge added that Isaac wrote several letters to the kids’ parents and even left a phone number behind for depositing the money. He said security later used this very telephone contact to track him down.
“When Isaac was arrested, he led the security operatives to Nalukola’s house and showed them where they had buried their decapitated bodies in a hole near a pit latrine,” Muwonge disclosed.
Nsubuga Namutegera, the Mateete Sub County LCIII Chairperson, described the incident as horrifying, adding that more than seven children are believed to have been kidnapped in the area.
He appealed to security agencies to enhance operations against the perpetrators.
Police at Mateete Station in Sembabule district have in recent weeks recorded a total of eight (08) missing children.
