Thug in cash robbery video identified

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police have identified a thug who hacked a client at a cash office in Nateete, on the outskirts of Kampala. The suspect has been identified as Ashraf Kiiza, an employee at Bashir Grain Millers.

Kiiza attacked Sam Turyamuhaki on Monday at around 8 p.m. when he walked into the cash office with a machete and a hammer leading to a fight between the two. He was overpowered and left the scene, albeit after injuring the victim.

“I was verifying eight million Shillings that had been handed to me by the owner of grain miller Bashir. A man unexpectedly entered the office carrying a sack. In a terrifying turn of events, he pulled out a panga and hammer and started demanding the money I was counting,” Turyamuhaki told police.

In the video, Kiiza is seen placing the sack on the waiting chairs as Turyamuhaki counts money seemingly unbothered. However, Kiiza picks a machete from the sack and orders Turyamuhaki to surrender the money he was counting. Instead, Turyamuhaki attempts to grab the attacker’s panga but misses it in the process.

Kiiza then descended on Turyamuhaki and hacked him on the head attracting the intervention of other people who temporarily subdued him but he eventually escaped.

Kampala Metropolitan Deputy Police Spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire said Turyamuhaki had sustained severe head injuries by the time was saved. Area residents rushed Turyamuhaki to the nearby health facility where he received prompt medical attention.

“The police were informed about the incident and responded. Exhibits, including the weapons used in the assault such as the hammer and panga, were recovered. Additionally, CCTV footage from the scene has been obtained to aid in the ongoing investigation,” Owoyesigyire said.

Owoyesigyire said Kiiza fled the scene and is currently on the run. He added that police have deployed the possible means to have Kiiza arrested to face charges of attempted murder, and aggravated robbery. It is not yet clear what prompted Kiiza to act in the thuggery way since he was an employee of the grain company which had just given money to Turyamuhaki.

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