The Directorate of Crime Intelligence in coordination with Iganga Police, on the 19.05.2023, tracked down and recovered Augustine Ssekajugo, a 22-year-old, second year student of Dental Surgery at Makerere University, from his hide out in Butama village, Nakalama parish in Iganga district.

After an exhaustive search for him, the task teams concluded that Ssekajugo, made up the whole story, which impacted negatively those, who sacrificed their time and resources to help him.

The victim, turned suspect, disappeared on the 2.05.2023, from his hostel room, leaving all his phones behind to purposely cut off all communication and contact with his relatives. It was established that he staged the kidnap, after he spent his tuition fees, in sports betting scheme. He decided to disappear from his relatives, and rented a room in Butama village, where he was going to start coaching lessons.

He was tracked down and arrested after 17 days and transferred to Wandegeya police station on the 21.05.2023, for further court action.

“There was no kidnap, instead the victim abandoned his phones in his room, to fake a disappearance,” Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga says. “We do strongly condemn the act, because is created panic and fear to his immediate family and relatives, which they should not have endured.”

“Fake abductions and kidnaps are not uncommon these days. Victims turned suspects, have faked their own kidnappings for personal gains, financial gains, for extortions, intense love for a partner. Others have faked kidnaps of their young children to extort money from their respective husbands. We urge the public to desist from such acts of deceit, where kidnap is used as a tool of fraud.”