Busoga North police have confirmed that Fredrick Ngobi, the Director of Citizens of Hope Primary School in Buwenge Town Council, was among those killed by an angry mob in Buyende district. The incident reportedly occurred when Ngobi and his friend Julius Kiirya attempted to steal ‘mercury’ from Mutwaire Bamwegombye, a 70-year-old resident of Busiike village in Buyende district.
According to reports, Ngobi and Kiirya allegedly hired gunmen to surround Mutwaire’s home and rob him of the ‘mercury.’ On Sunday, the duo stormed Mutwaire’s house and demanded the mercury’s surrender. However, Mutwaire claimed to have outsmarted them by luring his friends to his aid when he noticed the angry crowd gathering.
As a resident of Busiike village, Mutwaire is known for grinding rocks and combining them with tar extracted from pine trees to create ornaments. His grandchildren then sell these ornaments in Kampala. However, earlier this year, rumors surfaced suggesting that he was extracting mercury from the neighboring Kagulu rock and using it in his ornaments.
District leaders and security teams previously conducted a search in Mutwaire’s house, where they found piles of grinded rock powder stored in old jerrycans. Mutwaire believes that the attackers may have acted upon these rumors to raid his home, leading to their eventual demise at the hands of the angry mob.
Busoga North police spokesperson, Michael Kasadha, confirmed that the deceased individuals have been taken to Kamuli Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination. Kasadha also urged the public to refrain from engaging in mob justice, emphasizing that such actions hinder efforts to combat criminal activities in the area.
