Musa Galiwango, one of the two murder suspects that escaped from authorities during a court session in Masaka has been tracked down and rearrested.
Galiwango was trailed and picked up from Kigarama village, Nyabihoko sub-county, Kajara in Ntungamo district in the wee hours of Tuesday morning by the Police Flying Squad.
On March 1, he, together with his colleague Muhammad Kidawalime escaped from the Masaka Chief Magistrates Court where they had just been slapped with fresh charges. When prison warders went to collect the duo’s case files, the suspects took advantage of a security loophole and eventually jumped over the court dock and run away through the main door.
They had been in detention for allegedly masterminding the spate of attacks on four villages in Lwengo and Bukomansimbi districts in which 5 people were killed on New Years Day.
However, a few weeks later, Kidawalime was shot dead by Police after he and Galiwango attempted another robbery in Kalungu, Masaka. Police had been tipped off by a scared lady whose house the two escapees had broken into. Kidawalime was shot dead as he tried to snatch a gun from a police officer. Unfortunately, Galiwango fled.
A source in the Police told SoftPower News that Police Flying Squad Unit swung in action following a tip by a Kampala resident who had gone back to the village to pick his National I.D.
Galiwango who was armed with an unmarked star pistol was found at the home of one Mzee Katigigi in Ntungamo at around 2 am in the morning. He is said to have been riding a motorcycle Reg No UEP 064A
It is said that during his childhood, Galiwango had been employed to work on the farm of former Ntungamo district chairperson, John Wycliffe Karazarwe. But later on, he was dismissed. However, during the time, he had befriended a son to Mzee Katigigi.
The embattled Galiwango who had been on the wanted list since his escape had returned to Ntungamo to seek refuge but out of luck, one of the residents in the village had also returned from Kampala to pick his Identity Card who then noticed Galiwango’s face and tipped off authorities.
Last night, upon noticing that Police raided the house in which the suspect was hiding, Galiwango hit one of the police officers in an attempt to resist arrest but he was shot at and disabled.
Our source said Police thought the suspect had been killed but it was in the process of transporting his ‘body’ to Mbarara hospital using the Rwashamaire Police 999 pickup that to their shock, Galiwango woke up. The suspect is said to have had fetishes of witchcraft on him.
He is currently admitted at Mbarara regional referral hospital.
Police say Galiwango faces fresh charges of escaping from lawful custody, murder, aggravated robbery and terrorism.
During the Women’s Day celebrations in Mityana last month, President Yoweri Museveni blamed court and prison authorities for the escape of the two suspects. He questioned the logic behind uncuffing suspects when they are appearing in court which he said is reckless.
“These Prison warders removed handcuffs from these suspects and they started dozing, then they escaped, I told Byabashaija that they have to look for them,” Museveni said.
“I don’t even know who gave them the permission to remove these handcuffs, I hear that’s what the law says, which law is that? I don’t know about it yet I have been here for 30 years, so this recklessness is the problem, “he added.