Police have revealed that 19-year-old Bashir Lubega is the prime suspect in the attack on Advance Smart Micro Finance in Wobulenzi town council in Luwero district, which claimed the life of a security guard.
Lubega was arrested during an operation mounted by the Flying Police Squad unit and detectives from Luwero Central Police Station early this week.
The officers also recovered two SAR rifles, which Lubega is suspected to have stolen from private security guards. Lubega, who is currently locked up at Luwero Central Police Station, allegedly disguised himself as a mentally ill man during the attack on Advance Smart Micro Finance in Modern Zone in Wobulenzi town.
He reportedly shot dead 20-year-old Leone Odongo, a private guard with SGA Security Company, and made off with his rifle.
According to Patrick Lule the Acting Savannah Regional Police Spokesperson, Lubega confessed to masterminding the attack and helped Police to dig up the two guns he had stolen.
Lule adds that the suspect told detectives how he stole the first gun from a guard from Pyramid Security Company who had locked it in the house and gone for prayers. It’s the same gun Lubega used to launch the attack and get the second gun.
Lubega further told detectives that he trained himself on the use of firearms and tested his skills a few days before the attack by shooting at billboards along the highway.
On Tuesday, the Flying Squad and detectives took Lubega back to the scenes of his alleged crimes and training ground at a sand quarry located at Lutembe village in Katikamu sub-county. It is alleged that Lubega told the operatives that he didn’t want to kill the guard but he refused to voluntarily surrender his arm.
“We are still investigating how a youth who is a civilian got the military skills to use the gun and courage to attack armed guards,” a detective said.
Police have since preferred charges of aggravated robbery and murder against Lubega. Odongo was the fifth security personnel to be killed and his gun stolen in Luwero district.
