Kidnapper in Mbarara arrested

PIC: Kidnapper, Deo Tugume. (Credit: Adolf Ayoreka)

KIDNAPS

By Adolf Ayoreka

MBARARA - For a long time, Mbarara Police have been on a hunt for a kidnapper who has been making women and young girls disapear as he demands for a ransom from their families.

Deo Tugume, a resident of Katojo village in Nyakayojo division was arrested by police over the weekend.

They launched a hunt on Monday, July 16 after Lilian Ninsiima disappeared from her salon in Isingiro district.

It was reported that after her disappearance, Tugume; commonly known as Kafero compeled Ninsima to ask her parents for money if they wished to see her again.

Ninsima's parents reported the case to Police who managed to caputer Tugume on Friday, July 20.

After arresting him, Tugume declared that he had Ninsima who he had kept in his 78-year grandmother's house in Katojo village.

On interrogations with Ninsima, she disclosed to Police that Kafero brought her in acar after calling her from Isingiro that he had got her a better job in USAID, on meeting Kafero told her he has no job but forced her into the car and took her to his house.

"He first grabbed the phone from me and finnaly found myself in this room, when we arrived he forced me to talk to my parents and tell them to send us money amounting to sh3m or else he will behead me, I was scared, he kept on torturing me.

"The next day he talked to my parents directly and demanded for the same." Ninsima narrated.

When asked whether Kafero had used her sexually, Ninsima said, "Yes he had used me sexually more than three times unprotected because he would threaten to kill me if don't give in, I told him my parents don't have money but he insisted."

Kafero in his defence said he had married her and the ransom he wanted money to arrange for an official visit to Ninsima's parents.

This is the third girl kidnapped by Tugume. Mercy Natukunda was one of the three females that fell into his trap but managed to escape.

Natukunda also came at Police and confirmed how Kafero had kidnapped her under the guise of getting her a job.

"I met this man in Rwebikona trading centre in Mbarara town and he said her mother works in USAID and that he had been given a deal to look for ladies who want jobs, I brought my documents and on the second day, he told me to come with my beddings and clothes, he picked every thing from me, we went towards Mbarara high court but it was getting dark in the evening he took me to a certain house but I managed to escape that night."  

Kafero (Tugume)and Ninsima, a female he had kidnapped.(Credit: Adolf Ayoreka)    

Wilson Namanya, a police detective who was heading the operation after confirmed to New Vision that Tugume was impersonating as reverend and a UPDF officer to kidnap and defraud people.

He added that Kafero has been using different names as he was talking to the parents of Ninsima that at times he impersonated himself as the Mbarara's OC CIID.

Namanya confirms that Kafero is to face many charges such as Kidnap, rape since Ninsima testified that she had been sexually abused.

Police found out that Kafero had hired another house in Rugando trading centre in Rwampara County where he would keep stolen commodities.

What people say

Wilber Kagwisa, the father to Ninsima commended the work done by police to rescue his daughter, he says that he had had sleepless nights when he kept on receiving calls from the kidnapper that he wanted sh3m.

He adds that they had not sent money because they were advised not to do so by police.

What scared me most was when he told me that he has so far killed two girls that if I don't expedite the process without involving police, my daughter will be the third to be killed.

Deo Rutwama, the chairman LCI of Katojo village said Kafero sold off all his land and the house of his late father and had been staying in his grandmother's house.

Rutwama urged young people to get out of their comfort zones and work so they can earn clean money.