The Police will record a detailed statement from state minister for information and communications technology Idah Nantaba Eriosi in connection with the suspected assassin who was shot dead in Nagojje in Mukono district On Sunday, security agencies, led by Police, gunned down one of the two men who allegedly trailed Nantaba for several hours.
Police identified the suspect as Ronald Ssebulime, a resident of Nakabugo in Wakiso district. Nantaba was driving from Kayunga to Kampala in the company of her bodyguard attached to the Special Forces Command (SFC) when the incident occurred.
Yesterday, Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said two teams were dispatched; one to reconstruct the scene of crime and recollect what transpired, while the other was sent to record a ‘detailed statement from the minister’ to collaborate their findings.
By press time, the commander of the ‘999’ rescue team during the pursuit had been summoned to record a statement, according to Enanga. The investigations are led by the Kampala Metropolitan Police East (KMP-E) criminal investigations boss, Bernard Muhumuza. KMP-E comprises Jinja Road, Kira division, Mukono and Naggalama Police stations.
Enanga, while addressing a weekly press conference at the Police headquarters in Naguru, a city suburb, said detectives would get in touch with the minister today. He also said the Police Director of Forensic Services, Dr Moses Byaruhanga, was conducting a postmortem specifically to find out whether
“The deceased was shot at close range or from a distance.”
Enanga said the postmortem will determine if the suspect was shot at close range or at a distance following a witness account that accused Police of premeditated shooting. During the press conference, Enanga said they were also probing another clue that the marksman turned and shot his colleague after noticing that he had been captured in order to avoid trace.
Enanga said Nantaba, in her call for protection, reported that the men in all black attire that partially covered their faces were riding on a Suzuki silver grey motorcycle number UDL 822A. 999 emergency rescue teams, led by Naggalama Police, were immediately deployed in pursuit of the gunmen and they intercepted them at Naggojje.
Enanga said one of the suspects declined to surrender and took off, prompting Police to open fire. “One was killed, while the other, who is suspected to have been holding a gun, remains at large. Enanga appealed to the public to share in confidence a video of what transpired in case anybody at the scene recorded one to help Police with the investigations.
Relatedly, Enanga said the Police had filled forms and submitted them to Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) to help identify ownership of the motorcycle. The Police’s cybercrime team were also carrying out the cellular analysis.
Residents speak out
Diana Namayanja, 24, a fruit and vegetable vendor at Ssinda village in Kasawo sub-county Mukono says Nantaba, who is her regular customer came from Kayunga in her official car heading to Kampala and parked at her stall to buy fruits and vegetables.
“A speeding motorbike came from Mukono, but on seeing the minister’s vehicle, the rider made a U-turn and parked near it,” she said.
When Namayanja asked the biker what he wanted, he said he wanted to know if he had passed Kabimbiri trading centre. Meanwhile, residents of Nagojje trading centre in Mukono, where the suspected assassin was shot dead, yesterday told our reporter that the bikers were involved in an accident before the Police shot one dead.
One of them, Jane Namukuye, said the bike hit a hump and the two men fell off, sustaining minor injuries.
“As the residents were trying to assist them, the men heard a Police patrol vehicle and fled immediately. The Police ran after one of the men and found him hiding nearby,” she said.
The residents say the Police later shot the man dead and the body was put on the Police patrol vehicle.