Police rescue 15 trafficked jobseekers, arrest three suspects in Tororo
The operation followed a report made on November 19, 2025, at about 12:03pm by a whistleblower, who led officers to Muzuri Guest House after receiving information that three stranded youths needed help.
Bukedi South Police region spokesperson Moses Mugwe. (File)
______________
Police say they have rescued 15 victims of an alleged trafficking in persons scheme and arrested three suspects accused of luring youths to Tororo municipality with false job promises.
According to Bukedi South Police region spokesperson Moses Mugwe, the victims were discovered stranded in rented rooms in Bison ‘A’ Cell, Western division, Tororo municipality, where they had been kept for nearly three months waiting for non-existent jobs with a group calling itself “Rock Star Millionaires Team.”
The arrested suspects were identified as Andrew Odiope, a resident of Bison Cell, Tororo; home district Kapelebyon; Samuel Engicu and Michael Acori.
The 15 victims rescued are Esther Amede, Lillian Pedo, Jesca Aguo, Caroline Ilobu, Veronica Aigo, Josephine Apio, Rhoda Acen, Irene Acomai, Gabriel Omoding, Emmanuel Okoli, Samuel Itocu, Tom Francis Opolot, Henry Oguti, Ben Okwii and William Ijalia.
The operation followed a report made on November 19, 2025, at about 12:03pm by a whistleblower, who led officers to Muzuri Guest House after receiving information that three stranded youths needed help.
“At the guest house, our officers found three young men: Gabriel Omoding, Tom Francis Opolot and Emmanuel Okoli, who narrated that the suspects had brought them to Tororo to give them jobs,” Mugwe said.
He noted that the suspects had allegedly demanded shillings two million each from the victims to process the promised jobs. The three men had already paid shillings 1.8 million, 800,000 and 150,000, respectively.
The trio then led detectives to Bison ‘A’ Cell, where the remaining 12 victims had been living in rented rooms as they waited for work that never materialised.
Police later arrested the suspects and recovered shillings one million, now held as an exhibit. All 15 victims were evacuated to Tororo Central Police Station for documentation.
“Our preliminary findings indicate that the suspects transported these people from Kapelebyong, Katakwi, Soroti, Amuria, Serere and Kumi districts under the guise of securing jobs for them. They have spent months in Tororo without any employment,” Mugwe said.
He urged the public to be cautious and avoid falling prey to fraudsters who disguise themselves as job recruiters.
“We appeal to our people to always verify job offers before paying money or travelling. Several masqueraders are taking advantage of desperate jobseekers,” he added.