Lamwo district security authorities have detained a man accused of masterminding a bogus kidnapping scheme, where he demanded a ransom of over Shillings 800,000.
Lampard Tabu was arrested in Gai Village, Paloga Sub County during a joint operation conducted by local intelligence networks with support from the community.
Tabu, along with five other Ugandans who are currently on the run, spent the past four days extorting money from multiple individuals. They falsely claimed that this money was needed to secure their release from purported South Sudanese captors.
According to a security report, the six suspects informed local council chairpersons and Members of Parliament that they had been taken by suspected South Sudan rebels in Magwi County while engaging in commercial farming between August and September of this year.
Geoffrey Osborn Oceng, the Lamwo Resident District Commissioner, revealed that the suspects had made distress calls four days ago, portraying themselves as abductees and demanding ransoms. In response, Ugandan security collaborated with South Sudanese counterparts to verify the situation and rescue the individuals, only to discover that the entire incident had been fabricated.
Osborn further explained that after a thorough investigation and cooperation with community members, security forces arrested Tabu, believed to be the leader of the group, while the remaining suspects are still at large.
Tabu is currently detained at Ngom-oromo UPDF Barracks, pending further investigation. Preliminary findings suggest that the suspects devised this deception to extort money from local leaders for personal gain.
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