Lujja Bbosa Tabula who police say is the prime suspect in the murder of Ndiga clan chief Daniel Bbosa. PHOTO/HANDOUT/POLICE. PHOTO/COURTESY OF POLICE
Tabula Lujja, a man suspected of orchestrating the murder of Ndiga Clan leader Daniel Bbosa on February 25, 2024, evaded law enforcement for 177 days, continually moving in hopes of avoiding capture.
Lujja was apprehended at a relative’s home in Kimerika-Namulonge, Busukuma, Wakiso District, where he had sought refuge.
His time on the run had taken a toll; at the time of his arrest, he had visibly lost weight and appeared gaunt.
The Police Spokesman, Assistant Commissioner of Police Kituuma Rusoke, acknowledged the challenging pursuit.
“He has been elusive, hiding in the islands,” Mr Rusoke said without divulging further details.
The police had placed a Shs20 million bounty on Lujja after he was accused of hiring men to assassinate Bbosa, who was involved in a leadership dispute with Lujja over the Ndiga Clan in Buganda.
The late Ndiga Clan leader Daniel Bbosaa. PHOTO/FILE/COURTESY
A police source, requesting anonymity, explained that the investigative team systematically closed in on Lujja, making it difficult for him to evade capture.
“We forced him into a corner, leading to mistakes in his escape attempts,” the source said.
According to police records, the murder of Bbosa was meticulously planned during several meetings in Kabanga Village, Mpigi Town Council, where Lujja owned a home.
The suspects, some of whom are now on remand, allegedly decided to hire hitmen to eliminate Bbosa.
The group included Noah Lujja, 21, a mason from Kabanga Village; Harriet Nakiguli, 40; Joseph Nakabale, 47, a painter from Gala Village; Ezra Mayanja from Kiganda Zone, Kawempe Division; and Milly Naluwenda, 46, secretary of Kisekwa Court in Buganda Kingdom.
Five suspects before Mwanga II Court in Mengo in Kampala on March 11, 2024, where they were charged with the murder of Ndiga Clan head Daniel Bbosa. PHOTO | ABUBAKER LUBOWA
On the fateful day, February 25, 2024, Noah Lujja, along with two accomplices, ambushed Bbosa while he was driving his family home and shot him dead.
Eyewitnesses pursued the assailants, capturing Noah and killing another suspect, Enock Sserunkuma, in a mob attack. The third suspect fled.
The arrested suspect provided information leading to the identification of the other alleged conspirators and revealed that Tabula was the mastermind.
Upon learning this, Tabula fled the city, initially traveling to Katosi in Mukono District by motorcycle, avoiding mass transport. He hid at an elderly relative’s home on Bwojja Hill in Katosi Township for several days.
The investigators had difficulty tracking him until they analysed his family connections, visited each relative, and monitored their communications. Telephone records and human intelligence eventually suggested that Tabula was in Katosi.
However, by the time the police arrived, he had already moved on.
Months later, intelligence led investigators to Kimi Island on Lake Victoria, where a new visitor matching Tabula’s description was living with fishermen.
Unfortunately, by the time the police arrived, he had already left. Further interrogation revealed that Tabula had a shrine on Bukasa Island, where he had briefly stayed before fleeing again.
The police suspected that Tabula might have moved to other islands or remote landing sites on Lake Victoria, areas often beyond the reach of law enforcement. After an unsuccessful search, Tabula returned to Katosi, but once more, the police arrived too late.
He then made his way to Kabanga Village in Mpigi District but did not return home, instead hiding on a hill near his residence.
The police covertly deployed officers in the area, but Tabula did not appear, possibly aware of the police presence.
Tabula eventually returned to Namulonge in Busukuma, where the police had set up surveillance. It took them weeks to locate his new hideout, but once again, they arrived just after he had moved on.
A cave like hole is seen at the scene of crime where 17 human skulls were retrieved by police on July 28, 2024. PHOTO/BRIAN ADAMS KESIIME
The gruesome find spurred the police to continue their pursuit, knowing that Tabula was likely to seek help in areas where they had set traps.
In a desperate move, Tabula returned to Mpigi, but the fear of being caught by villagers, who had discovered the skulls in his shrine, forced him to flee back to Kimerika in Namulonge.
There, the police finally apprehended him upon his arrival.
Tabula is expected to appear in court either today or tomorrow on murder charges.
