Kamuli carpenter among three arrested over robbery, murder

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JINJA

A carpenter based in Kamuli district is among three suspected arrested in connection to aggravated robbery and murder.

The Police in the Busoga region say the suspects robbed a motorcycle and murdered its owner in the northern division of Jinja City.

The arrests follow a crackdown led by the Kiira region Police commander, Charles Nsaba, on a racket of motorcycle thugs in the regions of Busoga, Teso and Karamoja.

Kiira Police spokesperson, James Mubi, said the operation on December 21, 2024, was collaborated with other Police regions to enable the smooth operations intended to break the racket and subsequent arrest and prosecution of the culprits.

Mubi said the trio currently detained at Jinja Central Police Station was involved in the network of motorcycle theft and faces charges of aggravated robbery and murder.

He identified them Fahad Magambo, 25, a carpenter and resident of Buwenge Mpya in Kamuli municipality, Kamuli district; Ali Ekido, 48, a mechanic and resident of Ojukai village in Atooto sub-county in Ngora district and John Ebunyu, 42, a resident of Omatai village in Okoboi sub county Kapelebyong district.

While speaking to New Vision Online on December 22, 2024, Mubi said the culprits and others still at large target bodaboda riders that operate at night in the districts of Busoga: Jinja, Kamuli, Iganga, Namayingo, Namutumba, Bugiri, Luuka, Kaliro and Mayuge.

He said the crackdown followed the murder of bodaboda rider Charles Taligola and the robbery of his motorcycle UGD 294M on the night of December 7, 2024, at Wakitaka in Jinja City.

How events unfolded

Fahad Magambo, while at the Police confessed to having sold so far five suspected stolen motorcycles to Ali Ekido in Ngora district including one belonging to Taligola. He said that once he steals motorcycles, he uses the Kamuli-Namwendwa-Kaliro-Gadhumire-Pallisa route and connects to his market catchment areas.

Magambo also pinned his father, Peter Magambo Sekitoleko, currently on the run for having introduced him to the unlawful activities, is a resident of Kamuli district. He noted that Sekitoleko had instructed him to travel to Ngora district and hand over the motorcycle UGD 294M to Ali Ekido, a mechanic who later handed over sh3.8m to his father.

Later, Ekido contacted John Ebunyu in Napak district telling him that he was selling his motorcycle and that he had all the necessary genuine documents. The two agreed prompting Ekido to travel to Napak to deliver the said motorcycle.

While in Napak they made a sales agreement of sh4.5m but Ebunyu managed to pay sh3.5m cash. Ekido handled over a forged logbook and photocopy of the national Identity card in the name of Paul Mugombesha saying it belonged to the original buyer of the motorcycle.

However, according to Mubi, when the Police examined the documents, they were found to be forged and upon further investigation, they established that Teso and Karamoja form a substantial market corridor for most stolen motorcycles from Busoga.

Special desks

Kiira regional CID officer, Johnson Agaba Mande, said they designated a special desk at all three policing divisions to specifically handle expeditiously all cases related to motorcycle thefts adding that designated officers have just completed their two-week intensive capacity building training course in handling such cases that instill fear in the public.

Hamis Kiganira, the deputy of Jinja RCC, said Wakitaka village in Jinja City has become a blackspot where six people have so far been killed in two weeks.

Kiganira warned motorcyclists to desist from riding to the place late in the night adding that they should also introduce a system of taking photographs of clients and doing proper checkups before riding them to their destinations.