Police rubbishes vampire, rebel claims

Oct 22, 2012

“We went on the ground and there was no evidence of rebel activity or blood-sucking vampires,” Joel Aguma, the deputy director of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Directorate, said on Saturday.

By Steven Candia

“We went on the ground and there was no evidence of rebel activity or blood-sucking vampires,” Joel Aguma, the deputy director of the Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Directorate, said on Saturday.

Aguma, who led the team investigating the murders, said six suspects had been arrested in connection with the murders that took place in Mwera, Nakirongosa and Wagaba trading centres in Wakiso.

He identified those arrested in connection with the murders as Lawrence Kafuma, Robert Kafuma, Mike Lugyali, Godfrey Rwakabigi and the other two only identified as Tibimanya and Sematanda. They are being held at Kakiri Police Station.

Two of the incidents in which two people were murdered happened in September while the third, in Wagaba trading centre, was on October 3.

The murders plunged the area in fear amid talk by residents, blaming the murders on rebels, blood sucking vampires or ritual murders. Residents, out of fear, fled their homes.

He said the talk about rebels was caused by lack of co-ordination and communication between two village security committees that had been set up to patrol the places at night, following the murders,” Aguma said.

The perception, he said, came about when the two teams, while patrolling at night bumped into one another, triggering off the talk.

“One group was armed with torches and the other not. So when they met, it caused speculation due to a communication gap,” he said.

Aguma said there is overwhelming circumstantial evidence that showed that the victims were murdered due to conflicts.

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