Family in Fort Portal Recovers Child after Paying Ransom

A five-year-old boy has been reunited with his family in Fort Portal Tourism City after a suspected kidnapper received a ransom of 2.8 Million Shillings. 

Innocent Mugisa was kidnapped from his home in Mugoma Village, Karambi Ward, North Division Fort Portal Tourism City on Wednesday. According to his mother, Confidence Ninsiima, the kidnapper first went to their home at 11:00 am and told the house girl that he is related to the family.     

Ninsiima, who is also a timber dealer in Fort Portal city, adds that the kidnapper first went with the child, bought him a chapatti and returned him to the house girl.  

“He then told her to wash the baby and dress him well so that he can take him shopping. The house girl agreed,” Ninsiima says.   

However, all this happened in Ninsiima’s absence and it is later in the evening when she went back home that she learnt about her son’s kidnap.   She says that even though she immediately reported the matter to the police, she kept receiving calls from different numbers asking her to pay a ransom of 10 Million Shillings.  

After negotiating and agreeing on a lesser amount, a yet to be identified man directed her to Mpanga market where the boy was found playing on Thursday.   

Joseph Mashuhuko, the Karambi Ward Councillor and one who has been involved in the search for the baby since yesterday, suspects that it could be Amos Mugume behind the kidnap.   

Last month, Mugume escaped from Katojo Prison in Kabarole district where he had been remanded on charges of Kidnap, murder and theft. His arrest in 2018 had followed a wave of kidnaps and number plate thefts in Kabarole and Fort Portal Tourism City. 

Without giving details, the Prison Spokesperson, Frank Baine, said Mugume had taken advantage of a heavy downpour on October 16 to escape and added that efforts to recapture him were underway.   

On his part, the Officer in Charge of Criminal Investigations Department in Kabarole District, Andrew Ainembabazi, says they are already following up on the kidnap case.