KAMPALA- Recently, criminals tracked down a magistrate from an ATM machine and waylaid her at the gate of GreenHill Academy in Namuwongo, a Kampala suburb, from where they snatched her bag.
Buganda Road Court Magistrate Gladys Kamasanyu was clobbered by unknown thugs as she strolled into the school to pick her child’s results slip for the just released Primary Leaving Examinations exams.
As law enforcement closes in on the criminals through covert operations, MediaScape News caught up with Uganda Police Spokesman Fred Enanga about this incident. The details of the interview reveal there is a new crime wave in which criminals target hapless women from ATM machines. But CP Enanga has some tips for women as the police does all it can to fight the crime.
Read on:-
#MediaScapeNews: What exactly happened?
Enanga: Our investigations show she was tracked from an ATM machine in Ndeeba and the criminals targeted her as she entered the school gate where she was at her most vulnerable.
#MediaScapeNews: How far have you gone with investigations?
Enanga: We are tracking down the gangsters. Her bag was dropped as you slope down Nsambya towards Makindye
#MediaScapeNews: What does this incident tell us about crime in the city?
Enanga: There is some kind of gangster crime and we are tracking it. These gangs monitor women from ATM points and attack them at get-away areas.
#MediaScapeNews: Why women?
Enanga: Why women are targeted is simply because it’s very rare that you find such corporate ladies or business ladies going to the ATM and not withdrawing money. The criminals study women carrying bags first and they really know that these are bags that will always possess valuables. Recently, we charged somebody called Ochola. He was the team leader of a gang that had specialized in the areas of Naguru, Kololo, Ntinda- that axis where they know that the above average class stay and are always a little bit relaxed. They (criminals) had new motorcycles and you could really see from the nature of their dressing that, yes, they were boda boda riders but of a different class. So, that means that it is a type of crime that is actually profitable, that brings returns as far as these boda boda gangs are concerned. Now, then, of course the level of resistance is usually low when you are fighting a woman and when you threaten to injure her, she will drop everything. By the time she makes an alarm, somebody shall have already disappeared. So, it is because they are a softer target. That is why they will always be attacked.
#MediaScapeNews: What should the women do?
Enanga: We really need to sensitize women in these areas especially, caution pedestrians especially women and the way they carry their bags. If you look at the women who do businesses downtown, in some of these markets, they have been through some of these experiences. You can take photographs on how they carry their bags downtown and also how they carry their bags while on the streets of Kampala and how they carry their bags in some of these developed neighborhoods like in Ntinda and Kyanja. You find it’s really different because somebody who plies her business downtown knows very well that she is more vigilant because of the threat levels at that place. Unlike in these other developed settings.
#MediaScapeNews: But where do these criminals come from, operate and from which gangs?
Enanga: These are in Kololo, the bypass and Lugogo bypass and these are Kisangani and Kaibanda groups who come from the sides of Kisenyi and descend on victims around Old Kampala, Lusaze and so forth. They also look at the condition of their prey. You can also see the people whom they target, who are in the suburbs, like ghettos and so forth. The criminals have different characters and they also specialize in different areas according to the type of criminals. Low level and high level and so on.
#MediaScapeNews: Have these cases been recorded before?
Enanga: These cases have been there and we have been warning especially joggers. Joggers have been moving out there. You find ladies fluffy with gadgets on their shoulders, phones on their shoulders but then you find that they are really not aware of the surroundings. They really need to be aware of the surroundings that they jog in. Of course jogging in groups is not something encouraged because of covid-19 but you can jog in pairs while distanced amidst you and also doing it but not under the cover of darkness like very early in the morning or late in the evening after 7pm. It needs to be a bit early and in places that you can see that there are many people watching. For example, public places; or they can even go to secluded places like football grounds, pitches like at Lugogo. It’s all about vigilance and being extra cautious as you move out there.
#MediaScapeNews: What should potential victims be most cautious about?
Enanga: Avoid ATMs that are in open places. Where the public is able to monitor your presence and get to see that this person has gone to the ATM. They will study how many minutes you will spend there. If you don’t have money on the account, you won’t take long and they know this. If you are withdrawing money that means there is some time taken inside the ATM while counting it and keeping it in the handbag. So, they will tend to really analyze your movement, timing and so on. Sometimes you may find it’s the only ATM in the neighborhood and people need the money but you really need to be escorted. Withdrawing money and walking on foot is also quite risky. So, if you can withdraw the money and jump into your car, that’s okay. You can also avoid the ATM by getting the mobile banking app where you simply transact through your mobile phone without simply going to the ATM. These days people accept cashless transactions. Like through mobile money, PayWay and so forth. So that is another option. There are also secluded places such as Forest mall, Garden City and Nakumatt where the ATMs are inside and nobody is going to monitor your movements inside because you find that criminals are blocked from entering such places. Idle persons are also closely monitored on CCTV. It is difficult for thugs to dominate such areas.
#MediaScapeNews: How about for those driving?
Enanga: So, while driving, it is common at traffic lights. Some of these hawkers also have criminals embedded among them. They will try to look at door locks and see if at all the locks have been well secured. If they are not well secured and the bag is on the seat, they can easily open the door, grab the bag and this can bring out a panic frenzy and you find an accident being caused. So, we have advised women and all other motorists to put away their valuables. Gadgets, phones, valuables while driving. You can put it on the floor of the seat for instance. It’s always good to drive with the windows fully pulled up.