How new policing model saved two children from kidnappers
District Police Commander (DPC), Mr Reagan Magombe, carries two toddlers who were on Saturday morning rescued, four days after they were allegedly kidnapped by their nephew. PHOTO/RONALD SEEBE
What you need to know:
- The victims’ father Mr Stephen Nabongho, said the children were picked from their grandfather’s compound on September 16 between 3pm and 4pm when he had gone to attend a burial about two miles from his home, leaving the cousin and prime suspect behind.
A policing model adopted in Namutumba District this month by the newly-posted District Police Commander (DPC), Mr Reagan Magombe, has saved two toddlers from kidnappers.
Samuel Ibanda, 3, and Elijah Muwereza, 2, were on Saturday morning rescued, four days after they were allegedly kidnapped by their nephew from their grandfather’s home in Itonko Village, Namutumba Town Council.
Mr Magombe, who assumed office two months ago, replacing Mr Herbert Nuwagaba, says the new policing model, which was recently introduced in the district to curb crime, started by equipping all police posts with adequate staff to man security in their respective Sub-counties.
“The new policing model is different from the old model one because it has a slogan that says: ‘when you see it, you have to report it to Police’,” Mr Magombe said in an interview on Monday.
He added: “The ‘when you see it, you have to report it to the Police' model is helping Police to get information as people are free, unlike the old model where people used not to trust us with information about criminals.”
In this particular case, Mr Magombe lauded the locals for supporting and giving Police information about the whereabouts of the children, saying Police managed to recover the victims using a neighbourhood watch campaign.
According to Mr Magombe, the victims were recovered after Police received information that they had been sighted locked up in an abandoned house in Kagulu Village, Kagulu Sub-county, belonging to one Abbey Tenywa.
“We immediately responded to the scene, broke into the house that had been locked with a padlock and rescued the victims. We are grateful to the locals because if they had not given Police information, it was going to be difficult for them to get the kidnappers,” Mr Magombe added.
Primary Seven suspect
Mr Magombe said it was “unfortunate” that the victims’ nephew, who is a Primary Seven pupil in one of the schools in Namutumba Town Council, masterminded the kidnap with six other accomplices.
“Seven people have been arrested, and efforts are underway to have the prime suspects prosecuted.”
According to Mr Magombe, DPC, after abducting the children, the kidnappers reportedly rang their parents using 17 different numbers, demanding for a ransom of Shs14 million, which left a digital trace that led to their capture.
The victims’ father Mr Stephen Nabongho, said the children were picked from their grandfather’s compound on September 16 between 3pm and 4pm when he had gone to attend a burial about two miles from his home, leaving the cousin and prime suspect behind.
“The kidnap was stage-managed because the boy who was behind the kidnapping knew that the grandfather had Shs12 million that he had received from his tenants in Namutumba town,” Mr Magombe said, adding that the nephew had prior unsuccessfully tried to steal the money.
Itonko Village LC1 chairperson, Mr Nakolantya Nabongho, who is also the victims’ grandfather, said he was dealing with such an experience for the first time in his life.
“I am over 80 years old and have never experienced this in my family. It is unbelievable that my children were kidnapped by their nephew because he wanted money,” Mr Nabongho said.
Namutumba Town Council LC3 chairperson, Mr Godfrey Mwembe Godfrey, called for vigilance, saying: “We have kidnappers in our midst; our fear is that if we do not be vigilant, they are going to start killing the people they abduct,” he said.
