Police is holding a 23 year old Makerere University student over allegations of faking her own kidnap and demanding Shs5million ransom from her friends.
Early this year, the country witnessed various cases of Kidnappings grounded on getting money from victims’ families as other others were crippled to deaths revenging relative’s failures to rise the said ransom.
The student identified as Jane Francis Nampijja, is a resident of Nsumbi, Kyebando Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District.
According to Kampala metropolitan police spokesperson Luke Owesigire, Nampijja allegedly disappeared from home on Saturday morning and she promptly started sending messages to all friends claiming that she was kidnapped.
“Using her phone, Nampijja said she is in the hands of kidnappers who were demanding a ransom of Shs five million,”
He said her relatives reported the matter at Nansana Police Station vide SD REF: 73/25/08/2018. Police in Nansana followed the intelligence leads and managed to locate and found her at Mark Cottages where she had rented a room.
The suspect said ransom money was intended to facilitate her planned outings with friends. She was however apprehended detained at Nansana Police station.
According to Inspector General of Police (IGP) Martin Okoth Ochola in the first four months of 2018, only 42 cases were reported and investigated. With 42 cases reported but 15 were involved in murder while 10 cases were of self-kidnap. Ochola revealed that eight victims were rescued alive as seven victims went missing.