3 Witch Doctors Arrested After Kidnapping 5 Year Old Girl, Demands For Shs 50M Ransom

In Mukono, three individuals posing as spiritual healers have been apprehended for allegedly abducting a 5-year-old girl, Aidah Nantongo, and extorting her parents with the threat of a sacrificial ritual unless they paid Shs50m.

The suspects, identified as Ashiraf Mugayirwa from Burehe in Kaliro District, Michael Gerald Ochwo from Kigaya in Buikwe District, and Robert Sentongo residing in Nantabulriwa, Goma division, Mukono municipality, reportedly held the young victim captive for a week after taking her from her grandmother’s residence in Seeta trading center, Mukono municipality.

The perpetrators ambushed Nantongo on her way to Seeta SDA Primary School, concealing her whereabouts. Concerned about her absence, Nantongo’s grandmother, Babrah Galiwango, contacted the school, initiating a frantic search for the missing child.Galiwango promptly reported the incident to Mukono Police, leading to an investigation.

Throughout the inquiry, the alleged kidnappers demanded a ransom of Shs50m for Nantongo’s release. Using phone tracking technology, law enforcement successfully traced and apprehended the suspects, discovering Nantongo in a shrine in Kaliro District.

One of the arrested individuals, Mugayirwa, claimed they resorted to kidnapping due to Galiwango’s failure to settle a Shs2m debt for their services in cleansing her demon-possessed garden. He asserted their intention was to retrieve the money and return the girl unharmed.

Contrary to Mugayirwa’s statement, Galiwango insisted the perpetrators had been threatening to harm the child and dispose of her in Lugazi.Hajjat Fatuma Ndisaba, the presidential envoy to Mukono, stressed the need for parents to remain vigilant in safeguarding their children, particularly during the extended holiday period, cautioning against engaging in witchcraft activities.

Ndisaba commended the police for their swift action in apprehending the criminals, and the three suspects are currently held at Mukono Police CPS, awaiting court proceedings.