How sacked Chillies restaurant employee killed manager over shs400,000 debt

Police in Kampala have made a breakthrough in the murder of Isaac Omugur, 30, the manager for Chillies restaurant in Ntinda.

Omugur’s lifeless body was found lying in a pool of blood in the restaurant on the morning of April,1, 2021 after being stabbed by unknown assailants.

Footage from a CCTV camera indicated that on the fateful night, the killer who seemed to be known to the victim was dressed in a black jacket and mask plus a hood covering his head as he entered the restaurant at around 9pm after everyone, save for the manager had left and stabbed Omugur.

According to a statement released by the Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, investigations led them to Nelson Enos Ofwono alias Nelson Victor Ochien, a former employee at the restaurant who was found at his rented zone in Katooke Zone B , Nansana municipality in Wakiso district.

Owoyesigyire said that the arrest followed a three-week manhunt for Ofwono after CCTV footage linked him to the murder.

“Upon interrogation, the suspect admitted to have killed Omugar whom he accused of not paying him money totaling to shs400,000. It is alleged that Ofwono lent the money to Omugar but hopes to pay back were dashed after he was laid off at Chillies Restaurant due to the stress that Coronavirus put on the food business,” Owoyesigyire said in a statement.

According to police, when Ofwono continued pressurizing the manager of the restaurant to pay money he owed him, the efforts were fruitless, prompting him to devise means to revenge.

“On the fateful day, Ofwono pretended that he had gone to Chillies to pick his shoes he left behind. At the restaurant, the suspect stabbed the Omugar and robbed shs300,000 shillings that was on the table,”Owoyesigyire said.

The Kampala police deputy mouthpiece said the CCTV footage captured Ofwono taking Shs20,000 from the restaurant manager’s pockets and his  two mobile phones that by the time of the arrest, he had sold one at shs250,000.

Police say that during the search at Ofwono’s home, detectives recovered Sim cards belonging to the deceased.

“They also recovered at the suspect’s home, the clothes he was wearing during the murder and aggravated robbery.”

Commending detectives for the good job done in investigating the murder, Owoyesigyire said the case file will soon be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions for perusal and advice on the next course of action.