On Saturday, the assailants who murdered a prominent social media influencer and critic shot him to death with a pistol, not a submachine gun as was initially reported.
At approximately 9:20 p.m., unknown assailants on a motorcycle opened fire on Ibrahim Tusuubira, also known by the nicknames Isma Olaxess and Jajja Iculi, in Kyanja, Kawempe Division, Kampala.
Investigators have submitted expended cartridges retrieved from the crime scene for ballistic analysis to determine whether the weapon used is already finger-printed and belongs to a security agency or is privately owned.
They also utilized sniffer dogs at the crime site in an effort to identify the perpetrators and recover evidence. The police refused to disclose their findings.
Yesterday, as the investigation accelerated, detectives turned to homeowners with private Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras for footage that may have recorded the perpetrators’ arrival or escape.
Driver Records Statement
According to the descriptions provided by people who distinguished themselves as eyewitnesses the assailants ambushed their victim in an isolated section of a fenced-in neighborhood as his chauffeur Mathias Wasswa drove him home.
Some of the deceased’s supporters had called for the driver’s arrest or retaliation against him on social media, and as of yesterday’s press time, he was still under police protection.
They were perplexed as to how the assailants managed to avoid the chauffeur.
According to informants close to the investigation, the driver Wasswa, has already recorded a statement with detectives detailing his final moments, including the locations he visited and the people he encountered.
Investigators also retrieved his telephone communications records in order to determine with whom he last spoke and whether the nature of the messages could provide new information regarding the possible motive for the murders or the identities of the perpetrators.
Police pursuing New Leads In Iculi’s Shooting
Yesterday, detectives combed the neighborhood where the attack occurred in quest of CCTV footage from private residences that could help them identify the alleged motorcycle-riding killer(s).
In order to determine what transpired at the crime site before and after the shooting, detectives searched for surveillance footage up to a kilometer apart.
Luke Owoyesigyire, Deputy Spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, stated that they are pursing multiple leads he did not disclose, and that access to any CCTV footage that captured images of the shooters or fleeing attackers would aid police investigations.
“If any people [were] within the vicinity where the shooting happened, they should contact the police and share the CCTV camera footage. Our teams are also on [the] ground to see if they can get CCTV camera footage from private individuals,” Assistant Superintendent of Police Owoyesigyire said yesterday.
Investigators believe he was purposely targeted, which explains why the driver was unharmed.
Yesterday, he was interred at his ancestral residence in Nkokonjeru, Buikwe District.
Initial recordings captured by first responders and shared on social media appeared to indicate that there were no eyewitnesses in the gated community during the shooting.
Mr. Owoyesigyire stated that the motive for the murder has not yet been determined.