Iganga locals call for action as criminals invade Boda-boda business

Iganga, (UG):- Residents along Iganga-Kaliro road have called for action security against purported boda boda cyclists who are hiding in the business to persecute their passengers along the road by robbing them of their belongings at night.

They say some cyclists staging around Nakavule roundabout in Iganga during the night are reportedly turning against their customers whenever transporting them along the road, especially when they approach black spots and end up stealing property and cash from them.

Mr. Abudallah Balongoire, a resident of Kasambika village, Nabitende Sub County in Iganga district said the disguised boda boda cyclists move with deadly tools for threatening passengers before robbing them.

He told this publication that his daughter was recently attacked and robbed 200,000/= at Naibiri village along the Iganga-Kaliro road in a similar manner by the cyclist who he boarded from Iganga town. They point out Nakavule stage and Mukoko stage as the breeding areas for such criminal elements.

“Some boda boda cyclists from Iganga at Nakavule roundabout and Mukoko stage transport people in the night with deadly tools and they turn against passengers at dark spots like in Naibiri swamp. My daughter was robbed of 200,000/= at Naibiri swamp and was first asked for love affairs,” he said.

However, the chairperson Iganga Boda Boda Riders Mr. Kimbowa Muhammad says they are working with security to iron out people who are using their business as a scapegoat to commit crimes.

Kimbowa says such elements may not be registered with any stage in the town and he urged passengers to always board boda bodas from stages for proper follow-ups in case of any criminal incident.

Meanwhile, the Busoga East police spokesperson SSP Diana Nandawula says they have learnt about the incident in an audio note on social media platforms, adding that efforts are underway to address the matter, adding that they have since convened meetings with their leadership to regulate the boda boda business in the district.

“We met chairpersons of boda boda stages in Iganga and we tasked them to register all their members specifying those riding during the day and others at night and this will help us to eliminate such elements,” SSP Diana Nandawula, Busoga East police mouthpiece said.

She said they are planning to have another meeting to evaluate the performance of the boda boda leadership in registering their members, saying they will base on such lists to conduct operations. She asked people to give them information that will lead them to arrest elements hiding in the business to commit crimes.

“We hope to again meet these people and establish genuine members at every stage and operations shall be conducted to apprehend those hiding in the business. We call upon victims to help us with more information about such people for action,” Ms Nandawula added.