Court charges four suspects for allegedly murdering Makerere student Emmanuel Tegu

The LDC court in Kampala has on Thursday afternoon charged four suspects for reportedly beating Emmanuel Tegu, a Makerere University student, leaving him with life threatening injuries, which he succumbed to last week.

The four suspects have been identified as Charles Oigu; a 34 year old area councilor, Balam Nyeko; a 33 year old security guard, Johnson Kakuru; a 24 year old resident of Makerere and 21 year old Moses Sekitoleko, a resident of Makerere.

Police Spokesperson, CP Fred Enanga said, that the four were pinned by the post mortem report of the deceased student, which revealed his cause of death "as blunt force trauma, due to open wounds along the back, multiple cane marks on the back of the right elbow and abrasions along the abdomen and the entire back."

According to Enanga, prevailing facts of case indicate that on June 27,2020, Tegu left his sister Rachael Ariongeti’s home, at Namungoona where he also stayed with his brother Sam Okwalinga, and proceeded to his church at Makerere and did not return.

https://nilepost.co.ug/2020/07/09/parliament-demands-to-know-how-makerere-student-tegu-lost-his-life/

"But in the evening at around 10pm, he was found by PC Musoke Farouk who was on routine patrol behind the main building near the water tank. The officer attempted to inquire about who he was and what he was doing at such an ordinary hour, out in the cold. He appeared erratic and responded by throwing stones at the officer, who fired three shots in the air to scare the victim but kept charging at him. This forced the officer to withdraw and communicated to his supervisor," Enanga said.

Adding, "The victim ran towards St Augustine church and Centenary bank, where he charged at the three private security guards but was overpowered. They hit him using the metallic chairs from the visitor’s tent, and it’s at this stage that he cried out for help, which attracted about 10-15 residents from Zone 1 and West road quarters around Lumumba hall. Among the responders were a few youth who joined the private security guards and violently assaulted the victim, whom they suspected to be a thief.

It is after the intervention of the Chaplain, St Augustine Church Makerere that the private guards and the few charged residents stopped torturing the victim and alerted the police about him. The police team responded and rushed the victim to Mulago National Referral Hospital. The following day of 28.06.2020, he was traced at the hospital by his brother and discharged on 29.06.2020."

The police mouthpiece added that" While at home, the victim’s condition started deteriorating and he was taken to Mild May Clinic, Sseguku on 30.06.2020, to his personal doctor, Dr Arinda Anita who was treating his bipolar condition since 2018. She referred them to a specialist at Rubaga Hospital, to check if there was a problem with his kidney, since he was not passing urine. At Rubaga Hospital, he was further referred to Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kiruddu where he died on 3.07.2020."

The task team has, according to Enanga, established that about three private security guards of SGA and seven others, who responded to the alarm, were behind the violent assault of the victim.

He said, "The scene was reconstructed and a few key pieces of evidence including CCTV footage from St Augustine Church, metallic chairs from the visitors’ tent at the banks which were used as a weapon against the victim, a wire rod and relevant witness statements recorded. We would like to inform the public that the investigations are still open and we have clues about three more suspects who are still at large."

Enanga added that the Inspector General of Police, Okoth Ochola has 'strongly condemned' the gross misconduct by the Private Security Guards and has further asked the Commissioner - in - charge, Private Firearms and Security Organizations to ensure they are all well retained and equipped with the required skills on rules of engagement and use of reasonable force in the course of their duties.

According to Enanga, the IGP, however, also cautioned the public "against all acts of violent behavior."

Yesterday, police received the CCTV footage from St. Augustine Chapel in Makerere which reportedly, captured all that transpired as Tegu was being tortured.

Media was blocked from accessing the footage, with police saying that it was to be used as evidence in court but Enanga has now said that media can obtain the footage, if they liaise with the church.

He said, "We do advise them (journalists) to liaise with the church since it is a private footage, and also with the family of the deceased, since the public display of the images could be very disturbing. The copy retrieved by police has been taken in as evidence and exhibited."

Tegu was a son to a police officer, SGT Okwalinga and Enanga said that the force extends thoughts and prayers to the family, for losing one of their own.

"We are also devastated by the senseless murder of a son who had a dream, of working in the veterinary field. He was an evangelist who was compassionate and always helping out. May his soul rest in eternal peace," Enanga said.