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Mityana police officer succumbed to gunshot wound, postmortem reveals
Detectives pictured on December 11, 2021 combing the scene where Inspector of Police (IP) Patrick Nuwagaba, who has been the Officer in Charge of Kakindu Police Station in Mityana district died from. PHOTOS/ BARBRA NALWEYISO
What you need to know:
- His death comes just four days after two officers were on December 7, 2021 killed in the same district by suspected assailants.
- Last month, a police officer in Soroti District was shot dead and his gun taken by unknown assailants.
As police officers in Wamala Region recover from the shock of losing one of their own Patrick Nuwagaba, the officer in charge of Kakindu Police Station, the postmortem report has revealed that he died from a bullet wound.
Nuwagaba died near his home in the wee hours of Saturday morning.
His body was found near one of the front tyres of his car parked about 500 metres from his home at Mayirye Village in Kakindu Sub County, Mityana District. Nuwagaba’s gun was also found near his body. The deceased was reportedly traveling from a wedding ceremony, about a kilometre away from where he was killed.
Earlier reports had suggested that Nuwagaba died in a car accident but detectives said it was suspicious, given that there were no blood stains in the car.
Ms Racheal Kawala, the Wamala Regional police spokesperson said Sunday that the postmortem report had revealed that the wound on Nuwagaba’s head had been caused by a bullet fired from a gun.
“The postmortem report has revealed that Inspector of Police Patrick Nuwagaba was shot dead; it wasn’t a car accident. The bullet passed through the chin, nose and the forehead,” she said.
She however, said the motive of the killing is unknown as police continue to pursue Nuwagaba’s suspected killers.
“Our detectives are still following all clues to establish who were behind this heinous act and I am sure we will soon get them,” she added.
Some residents told this reporter that they heard gunshots at around 2am when the officer is believed to have died.
“It was about 2am when bullet sounds woke me up from sleep. I remained in the house but moments later, I heard people screaming outside that the O/C was dead,” a neighbour told this reporter on condition of anonymity.
A police detective who also asked not to be named because he’s not authorized to speak to the media said they didn’t find any blood stains in the deceased’s car.
“His body had a wound on the chin. We also found some shells near the body,” the officer said.
Mr David Lukyamuzi Kalwanga, the area legislator (Busujju County), tasked police to make more and clear investigations to establish why Nuwagaba was murdered in cold blood.
“As residents of this area we ask police to carry out thorough investigations and come up with a clear report about the death of our O/C,” Mr Kalwanga said.
He said the described was a hardworking police officer.
“Many of the officers posted here [Kakindu] could not stay longer. He had a better managerial language and was very friendly,” he said.
Previous incident
The incident came just four days after two officers were on December 7, 2021 killed in the same district by suspected assailants.
Corporal Alfred Oketch and Police Constable Moses Kigongo attached to Busunju Police Station in Mityana District were attacked by unknown assailants after they responded to a crime incident in Sebobo Sekanyonyi Sub-county. The assailants hacked one of the police officers before disarming him .The killers made away with two guns.
Last month, a police officer in Soroti District was shot dead and his gun taken by unknown assailants.
Police released a statement indicating that at around 7pm, the deceased identified as Sgt Gideon Emuria was shot dead at Maroon quarters, while heading for his guard duties at the residence of Justice Alex Makayi Ajiji of Gulu High Court. The assailants escaped from the scene with his gun.
On October 16, 2021, a police officer was killed and two others left with injuries after suspected robbers raided a factory at Kigalama in Kassanda District along Mityana-Mubende Road.
On September 8, 2018, former Buyende District Police Commander, Muhammad Kirumira, was fatally shot near his residence in Bulenga, Wakiso District. He was driving home when gunmen who were reportedly moving on a boda boda waylaid him and opened fire at Bulanga Township. A female friend, Resty Mbabazi who was also in the car died.
On March 17, 2017, former police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector General of Police Andrew Felix Kaweesi was assassinated as he drove from his home in Kulambiro , Kampala. His driver Constable Godfrey Wambewa and bodyguard Corporal Kenneth Erau also died during the same attack.
