Uganda’s national army, the UPDF, has confirmed the arrest of a suspected terrorist suicide bomber who was reportedly part of a plan to blow up mourners at the home of fallen deputy police chief Maj Gen Paul Lokech.
Lokech suddenly died on August 21 at his home in Kitikifumba, Buwate, Kira Division in Wakiso District.
He succumbed to a blood clot, according to a postmortem report.
During his service, Lokech commanded the Ugandan Amisom contingent in Somalia and was referred to as ‘the lion of Mogadishu.’
A requiem service happened at Lokech’s Kitikifumba home in Kira on August 25.
The fallen officer’s body was then taken to his home in Pader District ahead of burial on August 28.
Now, the UPDF has confirmed the arrest of a suspected terrorist from a hotel in Pader.
“Following an intelligence led operation on the afternoon of Thursday 26 August 2021, a suspected suicide bomber, identified as Katumba Abdul aka Ben was arrested by joint security forces at Mikicha Guest House, along Canigula Road in Pader Town Council,” said UPDF spokesperson Brig Flavia Byekwaso.
“Investigations so far indicate that the suspect had intent of disrupting the funeral proceedings the of Late Maj Gen Paul Lokech.”
Brig Gen Byekwaso further listed some of the materials, an assortment of home bomb making materials, Abdul Katumba aka Ben was found with.
These included: assembled homemade bombs, bomb carrier bags, ball bearings, suicide vests, detonators, ammonium Sulphate, wire cutters, switches and mobile phones used to detonate the bombs.
The UPDF spokesperson has also revealed that “other accomplices in the heinous crime are still at large but have been positively identified and operations to apprehend them are underway.”
She assured the nation that “the joint security forces are in control of the situation and the public is therefore urged to remain calm.”
