Three held for beheading 10-year-old girl

By Henry Nsubuga

Three family members are in police custody for allegedly sacrificing a 10-year-old girl.

The Police identified the suspects as Sperito Kisekwa, a resident of Nansaka in Butuntumula sub-county, Luweero district and his elderly brother Francis Mukasa of Kitega village in Mukono central division, Mukono district.

They were arrested together with their sister Justine Nampiima, also a resident of Luweero in a joint operation by the Police in Mukono and Luweero over the weekend following the murder of the girl identified as Sylvia Ssuubi.

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Other suspects on a Police vehicle upon arrest. Photo by Henry Nsubuga

The officer investigating the case in Luweero Police Station John Lwebuga said those arrested are suspected to have waylaid the girl on February 25 this year while she was grazing cattle at Nansaka village and beheaded her before taking off with her body parts.

The victim was reportedly grazing cattle together with her elder brother Conan Nankunda who was hit on the head and left unconscious.

The deceased's father Joseph Nkuna said in a statement at Luwero Police Station that when his children delayed to return home in the evening, he followed them up to the farm where he found the two lying in a pool of blood.

Nkuna added that he found Ssuubi already dead while Nankunda was unconscious and fighting for his life. The suspects reportedly chopped off Ssuubi's head and her private parts.

Nkuna reportedly took Nankunda for treatment and two weeks after recovering, the survivor narrated the ordeal to the Police, leading to the arrest of the suspects.

The Police said when Kisekwa was paraded with other suspects, Nankunda identified him.

After he was identified, Kisekwa reportedly confessed to Police that he took part in the killing of Ssuubi and offered to help the Police in arresting other suspects whom he said were his siblings.

Upon his arrest, Mukasa denied having taken part in the attack, saying they had family wrangles which had forced his siblings to implicate him in the ritual murder.

The Luwero district officer in charge of criminal investigations Bruno Tumwesigye said the suspects will be charged with ritual murder.