Police has confirmed to the arrest of 13 police officers following a raid on sheikh Muhammad Kamogas home last week.
Speaking during the security briefing on Monday, police spokesperson Fred Enanga revealed how the police officers in question exhibited unprofessionalism while carrying out an operation that was intended to rescue over 42 youth from the alleged illegal rehabilitation facility owned by sheikh Kamoga in Kampala, Kawempe, Ttula.
Following the successful operation however, footage of how the officers man handled suspects surfaced arousing many questions especially from the side of the human rights practitioners on how a respectable member of society could be raided and his members treated the way they were
“We want to inform the Moslem fraternity including leaders and lawyers that right now the 13 police officers who went for the operation were suspended and on Wednesday will be allied in the courts of law,” Mr Enanga said.
Adding that those that were harassed were provided with medical forms that they will present at Kawempe police post for further investigations.
So far findings indicate that the Ttula rehabilitation center is not registered under any legal entity including the Non government organization board or even the Uganda registration standards bearue
Of the 45 learners, 17 youths have been handled back to their parents including a one Siraj Mugisha 17, from Kakumiro district, lsameal Gumisiriza 15, from Ibanda, Okech lbrahim from Oyum among others from neighboring DRC and Rwanda all of whom didn’t have consent from the parents.
According to Enanga, the only challenge they faced during the operation was that the police officers didn’t not exhibite the much required professionalism thus resorting to use of excessive force and ending up violenting the rights of the subjects.
“All human rights defenders know that security agencies have the mandate to carry out investigations without being halted, there was therefore no fault in breaking or even raiding into sheikh Kamoga’s rehabilitation facility,” Enanga said.
He adds that as police they will always remain accountable for each and every citizens right especially that Ugandans were still susceptible to the threats of terrorism and that it remained public good that the police reacted to any suspicions in that matter.
Enganga thus urged the Moslem fraternity not to regard this as a personal attack, however be willing to open up and be transparent to the matter at hand, he noted that it’s only right for those in question, the like of sheikh Kamoga and administrators to provide as much information about the facility as possible.
“In one of the letters addressed to us by the president of the Muslim Lawyers Association accused the police communication department of spreading lies which isn’t right,” he said.
He also said that the right way to go was for the leaders of the facility to come out clean and showed proof of consent from the parents or even the license of operation for the facility since issues to deal with the law required not impartiality.
” Not that we have anything against sheikh Kamoga, we want him to report himself, we have always been kin on issues concerning children irrespective of any religious affiliation,” he retaliated.
