The general crimes department in the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) is investigating Captain Lillian Namara from the Uganda People’s Defense Forces-UPDF for allegedly hiring private guards from Arrow security to abduct and torture her builders.
CID Spokesperson Charles Twine, says that the general crimes team received complaints about Namara’s conduct from a civilian and they commenced a search for the victims. According to information obtained by the police, trouble started when Namara noticed some building material had vanished from her site in Kitintale, Nakawa division in Kampala.
She pointed accusing fingers at the site engineer, Dennis Rubambi, his two foremen, Rodgers Kyanja and Samuel Babylon. She then hired private guards from Arrow guards whose headquarters are near her site.
The guards, according to Twine, abducted the trio and confined them inside their premises from 9am to 11pm when the officer in in charge of Kitintale police station rescued them. “It was from a good citizen who alerted the DPC at Jinja road. The DPC instructed the OC Kitintale who went and rescued the victims. They were in a very bad shape,” Twine said.
According to police, the guards had plucked out the fingernails of the victims with pliers. One of them lost an eardrum according to the police surgeon’s report. Twine says they have commenced inquiries vide SD 49/06/2022.
“It was wrongful confinement and assault. They were tortured to a pulp. We condemn such acts and also caution private security organizations. A private guard can arrest but should immediately hand you over to the police,” he said.
Namara is expected to appear before the general crimes department at CID headquarters in Kibuli to record a statement. The guards are in custody at Jinja Road police station as police investigations are ongoing.
The prevention and prohibition of torture Act 2012, defines torture as any act or omission, by which severe pain or suffering whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of any person.
Grace Matsiko, the chairman of The Uganda Private Security Association (TUPSA) has urged the public to always report private guards involved in such heinous acts for possible blacklisting to prevent them from joining any other private security organization.