KAMPALA, UGANDA: A video and photos of a woman who claims she was tortured, raped, and raped by security operatives for playing Bobi Wine music has gone viral on the internet sending the public in utter shock by the narration of events in the story.
Alexandreos Marinos, 29, a resident of Mbuya, Nakawa division appeared on NTV Uganda in a news bulletin run on Wednesday, April 20 narrating the ordeal of grave torture that she says was inflicted on her by security operatives for refusing to stop playing Bobi Wine songs in the community.
Although she did not indicate the date when the incident happened, Marinos who says is a former supporter of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) turned an affiliate to Bobi Wine and NUP accuses the CMI operatives of being responsible for her mental and physical trauma that she is going through.
Marinos narrates that she was arrested from her home in Mbuya by six security operatives and into a Toyota Hiace vehicle, popular known as “Drone” and whisked away to an unknown place where she found several other detainees arrested over unknown reasons.
“They identified themselves as officers from CMI, and the reason they gave for my arrest was that I have failed to adhere to what they have repeatedly told me. ‘Why do you always play Bobi Wine’s music?’,” Marinos stated identifying two of the operatives as Erias and Hassan.
“They had warned me against playing “Bobi Wine’s music” and ordered me to stop supporting NUP- else I would face dire consequences!” Marinos said.
While transporting her, Marinos whose body is ‘flooded’ with fresh wounds, says the officers asked her about Bobi Wine’s son. “They asked if I have information about Bobi Wine’s son smoking weed and SMACK saga,” she said.
The 29-year-old NUP supporter then explained that moments later after reaching the detention facility, she was invited for ‘food’ by the officers only to find out the food they meant was torture.
“The food they meant was ‘torture’. They started beating and kicking me,” Marinos said, adding that she was kicked on the ear, which she says is now damaged, on the chest and around her spinal cord. “After gravely torturing me, they also raped me,” she said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Marinos whose body appeared with torture marks and scars says while in detention, the operatives continuously asked her about Bobi Wine’s next plans and if she listens to Turkey-based government critic and vlogger Fred Lumbuye.
“I told them that I last went to his house when they arrested him on nomination day (during the run-up to the 2021 general elections), so there was no way I could do his plans,” she added.
Marinos says three days later, she was dropped in Kitintale (an indication that the torture facility is in the nearby areas) where she got a boda boda that took her to the sister’s place, adding that her tormentors warned her against narrating her ordeal to the media and that she is now in fear, not knowing what they will do next.
“Before dropping me, they warned me not to appear in the media or else they would come back for me,” she sobbingly said.
In a turn of events, Marinos stated that two days ago, the operatives attacked her again and tried to take her away but was rescued by the help of her neighbours who responded to her alarming outcry.
“My neighbors gathered and the officers fled,” she said.
She says she was advised by residents to report the matter to police, something she did, but the officers she found on duty at Kitante Police refused to record her complaint.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan deputy spokesperson advised Marinos to reach out to Jinja Road Police station.
UPDF Spokesperson, Brig. Felix Kulayigye when contacted refused to comment on the incident saying they had to first investigate if the victim was picked by soldiers.
The NUP Women’s League headed by Kassanda Woman MP Flavia Nabagabe Kalule has since vowed to petition the Speaker of Parliament over the torture claims saying this violates the fundamental principal of human rights and freedom of expression.
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