The Wild Central: How police rescued kidnapped 2-year-old from security guard

He made the remarks after a crackdown operation that unearthed a private security guard who had kidnapped a minor for Shs20 million earlier this week.

One Herman Mugarura, reported his daughter, 2-year-old Isabella Musimenta missing last week. He received calls asking for money if he wanted his daughter back. At the time of the arrest of the suspect, Mugarura had sent Shs1 million.

On Tuesday December 6, 2022, police was able to track down the suspect, identified as Steven Mugisa a resident of Upper Kazinga zone in Nakawa Division.

“The suspect who was in hiding was tracked and later arrested on Tuesday and the child was also rescued alive. We have also established that the parents had sent Shillings 1M as part payment of the Shillings 20 million demanded by the kidnapper,” Owoyesigyire said.

While ransacking the suspect's abode, police was able to recover Shs600,000 and two brand new simcards. The items have since been exhibited.

But Mugisa's arrest is one in the many that are pending for assailants in the region. In an isolated incident, 8-year-old Eva Namawanda was kidnapped on November 27, 2022 and has not turned up since.

Namawanda is daughter to Joan Namawanda, a resident of Kasokoso, Kira Municipality. The minor was taken while her mother was at work. According to the victim's siblings, a stranger who was pretending to look for directions to a neighbor's house convinced her to escort him.

That was the last time she was seen.

The chairperson of the area, Sowedi Kasirye, says that slum areas are at an increasing risk of kidnappings for ransom.

Mugisa is facing charges for aggravaed trafficking in persons.