30 suspected thugs found locked inside a complex building

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kampala Central Police Station –CPS has launched a manhunt for security guards accused of locking up suspected thugs in a city building.

It follows the arrest of 30 suspected thugs from Platinum Complex in Nakasero on Thursday night in an operation led by Ivan Nduhura, the Officer in Charge of Operations at Kampala Central Police Station.

According to Nduhura, the suspects were locked up in the building by security guards for unknown reasons.

“Some security guards are being paid by Kifeesi boys to lock them up in buildings in town. We just picked over 30 from platinum complex Nakasero. Definitely they are against Ministry of Health standards of social distancing,” Nduhura said.

Adding that, “The guards escaped. But we have been told that these 30 suspects paid Shilling 1000 each in order to be locked inside.” The suspects have since given uncoordinated accounts as to why they had been locked up inside the city building.

Some claim they had nowhere to sleep and feared being beaten by security officers on patrol. It is unclear how the suspects ended up in the building, President Yoweri Museveni ordered the closure of non food outlets as part of the measure to stop the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Two days ago, a Joint Security Task Force–JTF arrested three suspected thugs for using the current lock down to break into shops in Kampala. Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, identified the suspects as Gerald Sunday, Nensi Magisibo and Abasa alias duplicate.

Onyango said the trio was picked up by a team led by Nduhura on Wednesday night. The suspects were allegedly found with breaking implements targeting several shops along Ben Kiwanuka street. The items included hammers, machetes, knives, metals and drugs.

“Investigations are still ongoing and the trio will be arraigned before courts of law after consulting with the state attorney on the charges preferred,” Onyango said. According to police records, Sunday was remanded to Luzira prisons last year for shop breaking.

Last week, the Chief of Defense Forces–CDF Gen. David Muhoozi appointed Col. Mike Waneiroba as new commander of Local Defense Units –LDUs. His major role is to ensure shops and merchandise of non-food traders are secured from thugs.

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