Mob burns sugarcane plantation to flush out kidnap suspect
The events unfolded following the disappearance of Deborah Namatovu on July 5, who was allegedly abducted by unknown people in Konko-A Village within Njeru Municipality.
Mob burns sugarcane plantation to flush out kidnap suspect
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A mob in Buikwe district set part of a sugarcane plantation ablaze to flush out a man suspected of abducting a 12-year-old girl before he was lynched to death.
The events unfolded following the disappearance of Deborah Namatovu on July 5, who was allegedly abducted by unknown people in Konko-A Village within Njeru Municipality.
The following morning, at around 6:00am, the girl's mother, Juliet Nabatanzi, reportedly found a pair of her daughter's shoes, some clothing and a handwritten letter left at the family's doorstep demanding a ransom of sh3 million in exchange for the child's release.
Nabatanzi reported the matter to police before residents joined her to search for her daughter, according to Ssezibwa regional Police spokesperson Hellen Butoto.
Armed with the new lead, family members, local leaders and residents intensified the hunt for the suspect.
According to police, the search ended at a sugarcane plantation belonging to a well-known sugar company in the area where the suspect was allegedly hiding.
"When the suspect realised he had been surrounded by members of the community, he ran deeper into the sugarcane plantation in an attempt to escape," Butoto said.
Residents then reportedly set fire to part of the plantation to force him out of hiding.
The suspect was eventually flushed out and arrested before residents allegedly compelled him to disclose the whereabouts of the missing girl.
However, upon reaching the location, the search took a tragic turn after residents came across the girl's body.
The discovery enraged members of the public, who turned on the suspect before police could intervene.
"The angry mob lynched the suspect immediately after the victim's body was found," Butoto said.
Butoto said police officers later arrived at the scene and recovered both the girl's body and that of the suspect.
The two bodies were transported to Jinja Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem examination as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction and murder continue.