Police in Palisa District are detaining four suspects on allegations of kidnapping a 16-year-old student as investigations into the matter, commence.
Harried Aguti, according to police reports on their official website, went missing on August 8, 2023, at around 4 pm on her way back from school where Constant Okiria, 18, allegedly grabbed her and took her to his sister’s place and caged her there for several hours.
“The following day Aguti was forced to talk to her parents asking them to pay for a ransom so that her life is spared. She spoke to the mother at around 9 am in the morning who later reported to police,” a police statement reads in part.
The police say in a statement signed off by the police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga indicated that the victim was tracked down and recovered by the police task team.
The four suspects who are in police custody include; Pte Justine Andrew Aguwa, a 29-year-old soldier attached to Ruhengeri Barracks, Emma Okanya, 28, a peasant of Senior quarter cell, Pallisa Town Council, and Constant Okiria, the student of Pallisa SS.
The other suspect is Anna Florence Imoit, a 26-year-old, businesswoman of Kisenyi cell, in Pallisa town council. The police recovered a toy pistol, bayonet, National IDs, and other exhibits.
Just this year alone, at least 366 cases of kidnap have been reported at various police stations across the country most of which according to available information gathered by this website from different sources, are always either politically or economically motivated.
Mr Enanga said, “We continue to warn teenagers, guardians, and parents, about kidnaps for ransom targeting teenagers. The kidnappers are usually known perpetrators, who surveil particular families that are better off, and gather information about them. As a result, they kidnap their loved ones and coerce the family members into paying a ransom quickly, to enable the release of the victim”.