Kampala Metropolitan Police, together with the Director of Crime Intelligence, carried out an operation on November 21, 2023 to mitigate motorbike-related robberies.
The operation, that was carried out along the Nakuvubo water channel opposite the Namayiba bus terminal, saw a suspect succumb to gun-shot injuries and two others arrested. The now deceased suspect has been identified as Okello Abu.
According to ASP Luke Owoyesigyire, Deputy Public Relations Officer for Kampala Metropolitan Police, Okello was shot as he tried to run away from security officers.
“During the operation, a group of suspected thugs was apprehended. However, in the process of securing the suspects for transport, three individuals managed to evade custody by fleeing into the water channel. In an attempt to prevent their escape, law enforcement discharged bullets, resulting in injuries to one suspect, identified as Okello Abu,” Owoyesigyire said in a statement.
Okello Abu succumbed to the sustained injuries and his body was conveyed to the city mortuary Mulago for a postmortem exercise, Owoyesigyire added.
Police managed to apprehend two suspects, that is, Yoram Mwebesa and Yahaya Ssenyonga. Police also recovered a motorcycle registration number UEZ 855H that was allegedly used during the robbery of Mr. He Wei, a Chinese national who was robbed of USD 190,000.
Owoyesigyire says CCTV footage revealed that Yahaya Ssenyonga was riding the recovered motorcycle during the robbery, and that they intend to arrest all culprits involved and pursue thorough legal proceedings.
“Through meticulous review of CCTV footage, it was confirmed that the arrested suspect, Ssenyonga Yahaya, was indeed seen riding the same motorcycle that was recovered. The ongoing pursuit aims to apprehend the entire group involved in these criminal activities, and thorough legal proceedings will be pursued,” he said.
Owoyesigyire has appealed to businesses within the Kampala Metropolitan area to exercise caution when transporting large sums of cash, and where need be, request for security escorts to ensure safe transactions.