Detectives at Old Kampala police division and the Flying Squad assigned to find the killers of James Amuriat, a private security guard at Nesta Pump Fuel station in Lusaze in Lubaga division are investigating possible connivance.
Amuriat met his death on Friday last week after being shot thrice by thugs who turned up at the pump fuel station as clients to buy fuel. The killers who allegedly included a woman and a man first bought fuel in a jerry can and pretended like they were leaving the station.However, the man turned up abruptly and charged toward Amuriat who was seated in a corner busy browsing his smartphone. The man pumped Amuriat, who was attached to the SGA security group, three bullets in the chest before making off with his Semi-Automated Rifle –SAR loaded with five bullets.
However, in their investigations to find Amuriat’s killers, police detectives and the Flying Squad have since established that he was not a lonely guard like it had earlier been reported. Preliminary findings show Amuriat had a more experienced colleague who was also armed but it is not yet clear why he did not protect his colleague during the attack.
“At first we thought Amuriat was a lone deployment. But we have since been informed that there was his second colleague. We are now wondering where this second guard was. Why didn’t release even a single bullet?” a detective said.Isaac Kiyimba, the area LC I chairperson, says that he had four days prior to the attack warned the management of Nesta fuel station against deploying one guard. “I often saw one guard and I told them it was risky for their business to have one guard. I advised them to have at least two guards but it seems they did not listen,” Kiyimba said.
The in charge of the control and monitoring room at SGA group who did not reveal his name confirmed that there was indeed a second guard at the pump fuel station. He explained that both guards were armed, adding that Amuriat was only recruited a few months back. According to the official, it is Amuriat’s colleague who notified the office about his death, and they, in turn, informed the police.
Barely two months ago, police through the now retired director of operations, Assistant Inspector General of Police- AIG Edward Osiru Ochom ordered commanders to arrest all guards found walking alone with firearms or deployed at the duty station.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, said that the conduct of guards browsing their smartphones while on duty exposes them to criminals. Owoyesigyire says that they have retrieved CCTV footage to establish the means used by thugs to execute their mission.
Grace Matsiko, the chairman of The Uganda Private Security Association (TUPSA), says that they have often warned private security companies against deploying lonely guards. He, however, says that whoever deploys single guards does so with the connivance of the client.
Amuriat is the second guard to be killed while on duty at Nesta fuel station in the last three months. Another guard identifies as Francis Wetaka was killed at Nesta fuel station along Matugga –Semuto road. Flying Squad later established that attack was perpetrated with the help of Wetaka’s colleague.
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