Guard killed, accomplice arrested in botched Wakiso bank heist

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In the quiet hours of the night, while most of Wakiso town was asleep, two men entrusted with guarding Diamond Trust Bank in Kkona East had other plans.

Armed and still in uniform just hours earlier, the two private security guards from G.K.O Security Limited decided to rob the very bank they had been hired to protect.

According to police, Emmanuel Okao, 27, and his accomplice Justine Okello, also 27, hid themselves inside the bank’s ceiling as part of a bold plan to pull off a heist under the cover of darkness.

They believed they would make a clean getaway.

However, their plan quickly unravelled.

At around 1:30am on April 27 2025, police received a tip-off about the planned robbery.

In a statement issued today, Sunday, Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said police rushed to the scene and ordered the suspects to come down.

When the suspects failed to comply, police fired tear gas into the ceiling to smoke them out.

That is when the situation turned deadly.

Reports indicate that the two suspects were heard allegedly cocking a gun, posing a clear threat to law enforcement officers. The police responded with gunfire.

Onyango said Okao was shot and killed instantly, while Okello surrendered and was arrested.

Okello is now facing charges of attempted aggravated robbery, while Okao’s body was taken to the city mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Onyango noted that investigations into the matter are still ongoing.