LUGAZI, (UG): Police in Lugazi have arrested six suspects over the alleged criminal trespass on a sugarcane plantation at Kataka stage in Cable Village, Lugazi Municipality in Buikwe District.
The six suspects who include; Wasswa Segawa, Khalifa Amos, Mutabazi Yusuf, Ganyana James Hakim, Mugaba Benya and Yudah Tadeo are currently detained at Lugazi Central Police Station pending further investigation.
According to Ms Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa Regional Police spokesperson, preliminary information received indicates that the suspects in a group of six had set up camp in the sugar cane plantation, located in the area commonly known as Kataka stage in Cable Village, Lugazi Municipality.
“Concerns were raised about their intentions, suspecting that they might be armed and planning to commit an offence. In response, the OC operation visited the area and confirmed the presence of the suspects,” Ms Butoto said in a Thursday police statement.
She added that following the intervention of the OC, a Patrol vehicle was called from Lugazi for reinforcement, leading to the interception and arrest of six suspects.
“Five of them identified themselves as members of the Reserve Force of UPDF based in Kampala, while one individual named Yuda Tadeo claimed to be a Boda Boda rider operating at Simple Stage Lugazi,” she said.
Ms Butoto further stated that the suspects told police how a one Sunday Ggiga had hired them to invade the sugarcane plantation which is under conflict with Sugar Corporation of Uganda Lugazi (SCOUL-Lugazi) over the true and legal ownership.
“The suspects further revealed that they had been brought to the location by a person identified as Sunday Ggiga, who is in conflict with the Sugar Corporation of Uganda Lugazi (SCOUL-Lugazi),” said Butoto.
Additional information gathered by police also suggests that “the suspects served as an advance party intending to take possession of the disputed land between SCOUL and Sunday Ggiga.”
According to the police statement, Sunday Ggiga is currently on the run and a criminal trespass case against him has been opened under CRB/221/2023 investigation on the matter has also been embarked on by the police.
“Sunday Ggiga is on the run or in hiding at an unknown location. There is an existing case against him under Lugazi CPS CRB/219/2023 for Malicious Damage to Property and Criminal Trespass on the same piece of land. Another case, CRB/221/2023, related to Criminal Trespass, is still under investigation,” read the police statement.
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