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Police finds abducted 4-year old boy
Mark Engole with his mother after being recovered by police. Photo/Courtsey
What you need to know:
- Kihembo had subsequently increased her demand to a ransom of Shs800, 000 for the safe return of Engole Mark.
Kabalagala Police Station has found Engole Mark, a 4-year-old boy who was abducted from Kanyogoga Village in Bukasa Parish, Makindye Division, Kampala District on 4th July 2023 at about 9pm.
According to the report filed by Jacklin Basilika, Engole's mother at the police station, she was approached by her friend, Ms Sharon Kihembo, who requested the boy to help her with picking some personal belongings she had left at a nearby boda boda stage.
Basilika agreed to let Engole accompany Kihembo. But Basilika was shocked to hear distressing information from another friend, Grace Alenyo, that Kihembo had demanded a payment of Shs200,000, which she claimed Basilika owed her, before she would return the boy.
Police investigations revealed that the two had been friends for about a year and Basilika confirmed having borrowed the mentioned amount from Kihembo when she was pregnant and had promised to repay it in August 2022.
According to ASP Luke Owoyesigire, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Deputy Spokesperson, the motive behind the abduction appeared to stem from the disputed loan.
Kihembo had subsequently increased her demand to a ransom of Shs800, 000 for the safe return of Engole Mark.
Prompt action was taken by the police, and a case of abduction was immediately opened at Kanyogoga Police Post. Statements were recorded from relevant witnesses to aid in the swift resolution of the matter.
Kihembo was apprehended on July 6, at Nakasero Market.
While under police custody, she directed the authorities to the location where she had concealed the child in Salama, Makindye Division. The child has been reunited with his parents and is in a good health condition.
Owesigire said, “We will continue to employ all available resources and investigative techniques to bring perpetrators of such heinous acts to justice. We urge the public to remain vigilant, report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station, and refrain from engaging in any form of illegal lending or borrowing, as it can lead to grave consequences.”
