According to the Rwenzori West regional police Spokesperson, Vincent Twesige, the incident happened at around 10pm on Thursday night, when an S.5 student identified as Lucy Nagawa went to the toilet
Amos Mugume, the most wanted serial kidnapper
in Tooro Sub-region, yesterday attempted to murder a student of Kyebambe Girls’
Senior Secondary School in Fort Portal Tourism City.
According to the Rwenzori West
regional police Spokesperson, Vincent Twesige, the incident happened at around
10pm on Thursday night, when an S.5 student identified as Lucy Nagawa went to the toilet.
Twesige says that when the 21-year-old
student was still in the toilet, a man who was later identified as Mugume, pounced and pulled her out and started dragging her into the nearby bush.
In a statement recorded at Fort Portal
Central Police Station by the school’s Security Master, Paul Mutwama, said Mugume
ordered the girl to keep quiet or he stabs her to death but the girl defied and
screamed loudly.
“When she continued making an alarm,
the thug stubbed her on the head, causing her injuries,” reads part of Twesige’s
statement on the matter.
The statement further reveals that
another girl who had also gone to the toilet heard the screaming by her colleague
and she decided to also make an alarm that attracted more students to come to their
rescue.
“When the thug saw others coming, he
ran away with his knife,” says Twesige.
The regional police spokesperson says the
school authorities quickly notified police and a team from the Criminal
Investigations Department -CID from Fort Portal police, the Homicide team and
Scene of Crime Officers – SOCO visited the scene where they recovered exhibits.
According to Twesige, the suspect
could have taken advantage of the bush around the latrine to hatch his plan and
police suspects he wanted to either rape, murder or kidnap the victim. So far,
police has only preferred the attempted murder charge against him.
The Kyebambe Girl’s Senior Secondary
School head teacher, Esther Gidudu, has told our reporter that the student was
first rushed to Kabarole hospital before her parents asked to take her to Fort
Portal regional referral hospital where she is reportedly responding to treatment.
Gidudu, however, reveals that it is
not the first time Mugume is attempting to do the same thing at the same
school.
She says that Mugume, who has ever
worked at Kyebambe as a casual labourer, knows all the corners of the school
and in 2018 he attempted to do the same thing but still took off without a
trace.
She explains that they were able to
easily know that it is Mugume because the victim quickly identified him when
they showed her his photo that police reportedly gave to the school.
Gidudu adds that as a school, they are
so worried because even when they have an option of renovating the toilets
within the dormitories, Mugume knows them since he has ever hidden there a
stolen number plates of a former teacher's vehicle that he returned after getting a
ransom.
//Cue in: “I’m told I…
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According to Gidudu, Mugume could be conniving
with some people within the security circles to commit crimes, saying that even
when he is known to the police, his photo has never been published anywhere
announcing him as a wanted person.
//Cue in: “Because they get…
Cue out… like that.”//
The head teacher also says that they
are now working around the clock to ensure maximum security at the school for
the safety of the students and staff.
But Twesige has refuted the
allegations of police conniving with Mugume, saying that they do not have his photo
and Gidudu can give it them so that they publish it for the public to know that
he is a wanted criminal.
In 2018, Police arrested Mugume and
six others for allegedly kidnapping Emmanuelle Lisha Ahumuza, a one and
half-year-old girl from her parents’ home in Maguru, Central Division Fort
Portal Tourism City. Ahumuza was reunited with her family after the parents
reportedly paid a ransom of 2.5 Million Shillings.
The suspects who include Kesta Muhereza, Christine Marunga, Joram Amara,
Deogratius Isingoma and Robert Mugabo Ssalongo were also accused of being
behind the numerous thefts of vehicle number plates in Fort Portal city and
Kabarole district.
However, in October last year, Mugume escaped from Katojo prison in Fort Portal
where he was on remand for a number of crimes including murder, rape, theft and
kidnap.
When contacted, the Prison Spokesperson, Frank Baine, then only said that
Mugume had taken advantage of a heavy down pour that day to escape though he
has never been rearrested.
