How ‘dead’ second suspect captured on CCTV camera strangling boda boda rider ‘resurrected’; arrested

The Police Flying Squad has arrested the second suspect captured in a CCTV video strangling a boda boda rider before taking with them the motorcycle in Lubaga, a Kampala suburb.

The one minute video that was circulated on social media showed two men who pretended to be passengers on a boda boda ask the rider to stop after reaching their destination but in the process, they strangled him before repeatedly hitting him on the head with a huge stone killing him instantly.

The thugs later took off with the motorcycle.

On Wednesday, police announced the arrest of John Bosco Mugisha, one of the suspects in the gruesome murder of Derrick Mulindwa, a boda boda rider and resident of Nabweru in Nansana municipality.

“I am John Bosco Mugisha also known as Mukiga. I know Police was looking for me because I was captured in a video that forced me to run to Kabale to hide but I returned because I was broke,” the suspect told detectives in confession.

He later told detectives that his colleague identified as Young Mulo(not the musician)  was killed by a mob on July 3 in Makindye on suspicion they had stolen a motorcycle.

According to a security source privy to the matter, it is true Young Mulo was beaten to near-death by a mob in Makindye on July 3 and his body taken to the mortuary.

“When the incident happened, Mugisha escaped unhurt but his colleague, Young Mulo was beaten badly that everyone thought he was dead. We came and picked the ‘dead body’ took it to the mortuary in Mulago,” said the source.

Suspect resurrects

When the body was taken to the city mortuary in Mulago, police never followed up on the matter but according to another source, Young Mulo was still alive.

It is also said that at the mortuary, medics found out that he was alive and took him to hospital.

“Because there was no complainant, the medics didn’t care so much about his security but after three days, he escaped from hospital to an unknown destination,” the source added.

Hunt starts

On Wednesday, when Mugisha told detectives that his colleague with whom he had been captured in the CCTV camera strangling a boda boda rider in Kakeeka, Mengo in Rubaga had been killed by a mob in Makindye, police got interested in following up the matter.

They went and inquired from the city mortuary in Mulago about the whereabouts of the body that had been brought from Makindye but to their surprise, it was nowhere to be seen.

“We were told that he was still alive and had been taken to hospital from where he escaped after three days,” the source added.

This prompted the Police Flying Squad to mount a hunt for the missing suspect who had earlier thought to be dead.

The hunt on Friday achieved results when Young Mulo was arrested in Mpigi before being returned to Kampala to face charges of murder and aggravated robbery.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2019/07/18/how-police-arrested-man-captured-in-cctv-video-strangling-boda-boda-rider/

When contacted for a comment, the Kampala Metropolitan police spokesperson, Patrick Onyango did not pick our repeated calls to him whereas his deputy, Luke Owoyesigyire’s phone was unavailable.

Police last week said an intelligence-led operation bore fruits that saw them dismantle a suspected gang of dealers in stolen motorcycles and spare parts within the areas of Katwe, Nalukolongo, Nateete and other parts which appear to be hubs for stolen motorcycles and spare parts.

"We have arrested 13 suspects. Two suspects have been transferred to Mityana where some motorcycles were stolen from. One has been transferred to Fort Portal and the other two are here at Special Investigations Department (SID) Kireka,” Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga said during a weekly police press briefing.

After the June 30 incident, the Police spokesperson Enanga said experts from the cyber forensics department would employ specialized technology to help them unmask the men captured on CCTV cameras strangling a boda boda rider in Kampala.

“Our cyber forensic experts are to use facial recognition technology to be able to get the exact identities of the two suspects captured on video,”Enanga said.

The police mouthpiece said such incidents show that a big number of people have heeded to their call of installing CCTV cameras to their private property including shopping malls, banks, schools and entertainment places.

“We are very happy to note that CCTVs are becoming a very common feature of public life,”Enanga said.

The police spokesperson however explained that CCTV cameras alone cannot fight criminality but noted their work is enhanced alongside other complementary measures.

“Other complementary measures like police patrols, community vigilance and environmental designs like proper lighting help raise CCTV cameras’ credibility as a threat to offenders.