GEN KATUMBA SHOOTING: 4 Arrested, 1 Gunned as Security Apprends Shooters
Kampala – Joint security task force has made a major breakthrough in the double murder of Nantongo Brenda and Kayondo Haruna; and the attempted murder of General Katumba Wamala in a failed assassination.
In a statement issued Thursday, Deputy IGP, Maj. Gen. Paul Lokech revealed that the taskforce has made arrests of four key suspects in the double murder and attempted assassination which occurred on June 1 in Kisaasi, a Kampala suburb along the Kisota-Kisaasi-Bukoto link.
The vehicle in which Gen. Katumba Wamala, Brenda Nantongo, Haruna Kayondo (driver) and another body guard was sprayed with bullets by assailants riding on motorcycle.
“The major breakthrough was as a result of the many leads, that was actively pursued by the task team, and led to the arrest of Muhammad Kagugube alias BAFUMOYA on June 26. Upon interrogation, he admitted to having participated in the violent attack, when he carried out surveillance on the movement of General Katumba Wamala from his home.
Maj Gen. Lokech added: “Kagugube immediately alerted the assault team, as soon as he spotted him and the direction he was taking. After alerting the assault team, he went up to Bukoto near Oryx Petrol Station, where he waited for the two guns, but received only one and rode away with it.”
Security authorities also revealed, on arrest and interrogation, Kagugube provided details that led to the apprehension of a one Walusimbi Kamada alias Mundinka aka Ogema – a rider that conveyed the assassins.
“Upon his arrest, Kamada led the team, in reconstructing the scene and clearly demonstrated how the double murder and attempted assassination took place. And how he transported his shooter called KANAABE, through Kisota-Kisaasi-Bukoto up to Ssebagala road,” Maj. Gen. Lokech recounts the ordeal.
Reports indicate that Kamada handed over the motorcycle to the shooter, Kanaabe and this was validated after thorough search conducted at all his known premises unearthed valuable exhibits of a black helmet, 10 jackets, and one of the motorcycles used in the planning, preparation and execution of the plot.
The suspect was taken through the footages of surveillance and execution, and positively identified himself while riding one of the shooters, KANAABE.
The task team proceeded to Kawanda village and arrested KISAMBIRA SIRIMAN alias Mukwasi who received one of the killer weapons, from Lutwama Hussein alias Master, which he also later handed over to another member of the terror cell known as Mustafa Kawawa Ramadan alias AMIN alias MUSA. Also recovered from him was a motorcycle, under registration number UEJ283L which was used in the plot.
The team followed up and arrested Mustafa Kawawa Ramadan alias AMIN alias MUSA, from his home in Maganjo “B” LC1, Seruwumba Sub-zone, Maganjo Parish, Nabweru Division. Upon search at his home, various exhibits, including materials used in making improvised explosive devices were recovered, as well as Al-Qaeda training manuals on how to make and detonate bombs, military materials, secret communication codes, and several Western Union transfer receipts from foreign services. Also recovered are two T-shits used during the surveillance of General Katumba.
The task team further tracked down and arrested Lubwama Hussein alias Kinene Christopher alias MASTER, a resident of Kabulengwa – Kyebando in Nansana Municipality; who was arrested along Nansana Nabweru road.
The suspect who was the team leader and head of the domestic terror cell, put up very stiff resistance to the extent of grabbing a gun from an officer, but was subdued by the task team. He later succumbed to the injuries.
After cross examination of evidence and testimonies of other suspects, security authorities confirmed that Lubwama was the mastermind behind the plot who commanded all the other suspects before, during and after execution of the planned assassination.
“He provided all logistics of guns, motorbikes, mobile phones and facilitation used in the surveillance and execution,” Maj Gen. Lokech said.
In a twist of events, security authorities have asserted that the well-coordinated domestic terror was linked to a former Allied Defence Forces (ADF) ex-combatant who was granted Amnesty and has since violated it.
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“We have now established that the overall coordination of these domestic terror cells is by Sheikh Abudin Hubaida Taheel Bukenya, an ex-ADF combatant who was given Amnesty but has violated it. He is reactivating the domestic terror cells and is the brain behind the recruitment of assailants like Muhammad Kagugube alias BAFUMOYA and Lubwama Huss,” Maj. Gen. Lokech confirmed.
The group has been behind the robberies of Nansana Cheap Store, Ntake Robbery and Murder and the robbery on the Supermarket at Mpererwe. Their linkage to the earlier suspects, charged to court is that the killer gun is linked to the murder of the late AIGP Andrew Felix Kawesi and Major Kiggundu.