Police in Busoga North 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.
The incident reportedly occurred when they attempted to steal ‘mercury’ in Buyende district.
Ngobi and his friend Julius Kiirya allegedly hired gunmen to surround the home of Mutwaire Bamwegombye, a 70-year-old resident of Busiike village, with the intention to rob him of ‘mercury.’
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Upon arriving at Mutwaire’s house on Sunday, they demanded that he surrender all the mercury he possessed. However, Mutwaire managed to trick them and secretly called his friends for help.
When a large crowd gathered in response, the gunmen fled the scene in a saloon car, leaving Ngobi and Kiirya at the mercy of the enraged mob.
Mutwaire, known for grinding rocks and mixing them with tar extracted from pine trees to create ornaments that his grandchildren sell in Kampala, had previously faced rumors of extracting mercury from the nearby Kagulu rock and incorporating it into the ornaments.
Earlier, district leaders and security teams in Buwenge searched Mutwaire’s house and found heaps of grinded rock powder stored in old jerrycans.
Mutwaire suspects that the attackers may have acted on these rumors, leading them to storm his home and ultimately meet their demise at the hands of the angry mob.
The deceased individuals have been taken to Kamuli Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination, according to Busoga North police spokesperson Michael Kasadha.
Kasadha also urged the public to refrain from engaging in mob justice, as it hinders efforts to combat criminal gangs.
