Mercy Ainembabazi, a mother to the victim says that the kidnapper identified as Peter Kwarikunda a resident of Lyakarimira town council in Kabale district rang them on phone and demanded a seven million shillings ransom or else he chops off the victims head.
The five-year-old Pemba Princekola who was kidnapped on Thursday last week has been recovered alive in a forest in Kacherere Lyakarimira town council in Kabale district.
Princekola, the son to Anthony Masiga, a clearing agent with Shift Cargo Services at Katuna Border was kidnapped from Mayengo cell in Katuna town council at 7:30pm on April 3rd 2018.
The minor was playing with other children when the kidnapper lured him with Shillings 3,000 and asked him to accompany him to a shop. He put him on a bicycle and rode off. His family reported case of kidnap at Katuna police station leading for a search for the whereabouts of the minor.
Mercy Ainembabazi, a mother to the victim, says the kidnapper identified as Peter Kwarikunda, a resident of Lyakarimira town council in Kabale district rang them on phone demanding a ransom of Shillings 7 million or else he chops off the minor's head.
Ainembabazi says they started searching for the boy and found him in a forest in Kacherere in Lyakarimira town council on Wednesday morning. She also says that the suspect was saved by police from angry residents who wanted to lynch him.
Elly Maate, the Kigezi Region Police Spokesperson, says although the kidnapper had disguised his name as Arineitwe and pretended to be calling from Kanungu district; police tracked his phone using the Global Positioning System-GPS and confirmed that he is in Lyakarimira.
Maate says they immediately embarked on a rescue operation and found the minor alive. He also says that the Kwarikunda was thumped by residents and is admitted at Kabale regional referral hospital under police surveillance.
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Anthony Masiga, the victim's father hails police and media for their efforts, which made it possible he recovers his son.
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Uganda Police Force is grappling with increased cases of kidnap across the country.
According to the Police Flying Squad records, between 2015 and February 2018 a total of 48 people of different ages and gender were reported kidnapped. Out of these 26 of the victims were recovered alive while eight of them were found dead.
On February 7th 2018, 28-year- old Susan Magara was kidnapped along Kabaka Anjagala road in Lubaga Division as she was heading to her Lungujja based apartment.
Her kidnappers killed her and dumped her body on the Southern bypass between Kigo and Kajansi three weeks after receiving a ransom of Shillings 700million from her parents.
Brina Nalule, 22, a student of YWCA Buwambo Campus in Wakiso district was also kidnapped on Sunday last week and killed. Her kidnappers demanded a ransom of Shillings 10million, which her parents didn't have.
