In a daring intervention, boda-boda riders in Namuwongo A Zone, Makindye Division, thwarted an armed robbery attempt at Mama-Mia Supermarket on Bukasa Road.

The suspects, identified as Edwin Lukwago and Ezekiel Asiimwe, were apprehended by the riders after a high-speed chase, according to Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire.

The foiled robbery occurred around 9:00 pm over the weekend, with the suspects attempting to raid the supermarket. However, an alarm raised by nearby residents alerted the boda-boda riders, who pursued the armed men. During the chase, one of the suspects threw a pistol into a drainage channel before being captured.

A security guard from SGA, who witnessed the weapon disposal, immediately informed the police, leading to the recovery of the gun, which contained eight rounds of ammunition. The firearm has been handed over to ballistic experts to determine any connection to other crime scenes, as Owoyesigyire explained.

Owoyesigyire confirmed that the suspects are under police custody and will be processed to investigate any past criminal activities involving the weapon. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP) Kituuma Rusoke commended the residents for resisting mob justice, which, he stressed, often hampers investigations.

“If they had just killed the suspects straightaway, a lot of information was going to be lost. You will find that this pistol does not belong to these suspects, but to someone else who could have hired it out to them,” he stated, condemning summary executions and lauding the community for handing over the suspects to the police.

In a similar incident in August, boda-boda riders in Kampala captured two thugs armed with pangas after they snatched a handbag from a teacher, Hope Afoyotwoth, along Nakasero Road.(urn)