In Uganda, residents of Busambaga village in Katabi Town Council, Wakiso District have been left in shock after discovering the remains of a boy who went missing a year and a half ago.
The skeleton of the boy identified as Roy Odwe was on Wednesday discovered in a nearby bushy area by two people who had gone to cut it down.
Talking to Daily Monitor, Mr Abdu Juuko said: “Initially I thought it was a dog’s skull but upon further scrutiny I realised it was a human skull, I called my colleague and he agreed that it was a human skull. We reported the matter to Police Station where we found a report about the boy’s disappearance. The police responded, came to the scene and also called the parents to identify the remains,” he said.
Ms Teddy Nantogo, the mother to the deceased identified her son’s remains by the Rosary, clothes, house keys and his father’s shoes that he was putting on the day he disappeared.
“It was on December 3, 2018 when I had gone to work, I had left my son at home. At about 1pm I received a message on my phone from an anonymous number with someone asking me my son’s whereabouts, before I could reply they sent a message saying they were holding my son in a certain place and if I wanted to see him again I must send them Shs2m. Upon reading that I rushed back home and found my son was indeed missing,” she narrated.
“Whenever I would call the number, the person never answered but instead sent text messages which I still have in my phone. My husband Edward Sserubiri and I reported the matter to Entebbe Main Police Station and we tried searching for him but in vain until we found his remains here today,” Ms Nantongo added.
She said she never identified the kidnapper since the person never spoke and only used text messages.
“After one week, the kidnapper switched off the phone to date. After reporting at police, we sought the help of Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) and were shown the name of the person that was sending messages whom we tried searching for together with CMI but in vain,” Ms Nantongo said.
At the time of his disappearance Odwe was a primary three pupil of Katabi Primary School.
The Chairman Entebbe Division, Mr Michael Kabwama, said after a short period, the kidnapper sent a message to the mother informing her that her son’s body had been dumped in the forest.
“We mobilised as residents and searched this whole forest but didn’t find the body until today when the men clearing the forest found the skeleton,” he said.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson, Mr Luke Owoyesigire, confirmed the developments saying the remains of the boy were taken to Mulago city mortuary for autopsy as police continue with investigations.
