Patrick Ssejjengo, a resident of Kijjabwemi cell in Masaka town is one of the many victims whose relatives are missing after they were abducted by unknown people.
He narrates that a week ago, his brother; Robert Jjita was picked by suspected security operatives who were driving in a minibus motor vehicle commonly known as “Toyota Drone” with concealed number plates and has since never returned.
Residents of Masaka are leaving in fear as security operatives
conduct operations in the area.
Several residents have reported cases of missing relatives and
friends at Masaka district Central Police Station.
Patrick Ssejjengo, a resident of Kijjabwemi cell in Masaka town is
one of the many victims whose relatives are missing after they were abducted by
unknown people.
He narrates that a week ago, his brother; Robert Jjita was picked
by suspected security operatives who were driving in a minibus motor vehicle
commonly known as “Toyota Drone” with concealed number plates and has since
never returned.
Ssejjengo says that they have searched in various police cells around
the area in vain. He suspects that the brother could be detained in the
Military barracks at Kassijjagirwa-Masaka.
Moses Kafeero, a resident of Kimwanyi village in Kingo Sub County, currently
looking for his cousin brother who went missing on January 18th this year,
accuses the army of being behind the on-going abductions in the area.
“One of police Officer advised us to check with the army barracks at
Kasijjagirwa after we failed to locate the suspect in police cells. To our
disappointment nobody at the army barracks is willing to help or even talk to
us every time we have attempted to reach out to them” he says.
According to Kafeero, dozens of soldiers are going around
the area abducting people for unknown reasons.
Jamiruh Nsanja, a mechanic at Naluddugavu Motor Garage in Masaka town claims
that the abductors are mainly targeting known opposition political coordinators
who are being accused of lawlessness.
He says that the operations have created a lot of fear and many of
their colleagues are currently on the run for fear of being abducted.
Major Flavia Mulindwa Terimulungi, the Spokesperson of UPDF
Armoured Brigade Kasijjagirwa-Masaka, confirms that the forces are conducting
joint operations aimed at arresting people who were planning chaos in the
region concerning the recent presidential elections.
According to Mulindwa, security personnel are conducting
intelligence-led arrests which she says are intended to maintain stability in
the area.
Terimulungi, however, declined to reveal the number of suspects and remain
unspecific on where they are being detained.
