KAMPALA, UGANDA: An 18-year-old Facebook scammer was last week tracked down and arrested by detectives from the Police Flying Squad Unit and Crime Intelligence Directorate after masquerading as a doctor to lure female job seekers seeking employment in his medical facility and later rape them.
Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga identified the suspect as Lubega Ashraf, a male resident of Katosi Village in Mukono District who was operating a Facebook page named “Doctor Ronnie of Medical Scrub Uganda” claiming to be offering employment to medical job seekers.
Enanga explained that the suspect using this fake identity would lure his unsuspecting victims into promising them lucrative through interviewing applicants online and then rape them when they turned up to sign the terms of work.
“On his Facebook, he was advertising jobs in the medical profession and interviewing job seekers online through the Medical Scrub Uganda Facebook page. Eventually, he would lure the female victims who were his targets by scheduling meetings to discuss the terms and conditions of employment,” Enanga said while addressing journalists in Kampala yesterday.
“The suspect was doing this basically in Kayunga and Mukono areas where he would then cause for transportation of the victim to an isolated and busy place where he would drag them to the bush and then sexually assault them,” Enanga added.
Suspect tracked down, arrested.
Mr Enanga said operatives started tracking Lubega after a particular incident on March 21 when he interviewed a 21-year-old midwife from Kireka, a Kampala suburb and then invited her to Ntunda Village in Mukono and thereafter raped her when she arrived at the meeting point.
“In one incident which occurred on March 11, 2023, he interviewed a 24-year-old midwife from Kireka in Kampala and invited her to Ntunda village in Mukono district where he attacked and raped the victim who was looking for a midwife job.”
The police spokesperson says preliminary investigations have further established that the 18-year-old did not have a fixed place of abode but rather kept on sleeping in cheap lodges around Kayunga and Mukono.
“We established he had lured, raped and robbed many unsuspecting members of the public with medical backgrounds. We are expanding our investigations to get more evidence.”
Describing the suspect as an 18-year-old peasant without any medical background, Enanga said that the job seekers ought to have been inquisitive and find out more about the suspect before meeting him.
A peasant from Katosi who is not conversant with medical language and terms, why don’t you take time to find out what type of Doctor Ronnie is? But a doctor at 18 years?” Enanga wondered.
Police has since warned Ugandans to always be careful in regard to seeking jobs to avoid falling prey to fraudsters and other criminals who might deceive them for their own selfish interests.
“Be extra cautious while transacting business on social media and other digital platforms. There are several fraudsters who hide behind them.”
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: dailyexpressug@gmail.com Or follow the Daily Express on X Platform or WhatsApp for the latest updates.
