Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) released a group of nine Muslims, consisting of eight males and one female, following the intervention of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC).
Sheikh Imran Ssali, Secretary for Religious Affairs, and Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu, Secretary for Education, spearheaded the intervention.
The group was apprehended a month ago at a mosque in Mpigi town while engaging in informal Islamic theological studies.
Security authorities suspected the group of involvement in subversive activities linked to the rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), operating in the jungles of the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
The arrest was made after one member was caught attempting to flee with his entire family, including his wife and children.
During interrogation, he revealed his intention to join the Islamic State, where he believed he could practice authentic Islamic tenets without perceived compromises in Uganda. Consequently, the group was detained pending a thorough investigation.