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On February 7, 2018, the suspects kidnapped Magara with the intent of securing a ransom for her release
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By Our Reporter
Nine individuals accused of kidnapping and murdering Susan Magara reportedly gave a portion of the $200,000 (approximately sh700m) ransom to Muslim leaders as charity (sadaqa), according to one of the suspects.
Hajarah Nakandi, the only female suspect in the case, made this disclosure in a crime scene reconstruction video presented in court on Wednesday. However, Nakandi did not specify which Muslim leaders received the money or how much was given. The trial is being presided over by High Court Judge Alex Mackay Ajiji.
“When we got the ransom, we gave part of it to the Muslim leaders to do their work,” Nakandi stated in the video.
Without citing any specific Quranic verse, Nakandi claimed that the kidnapping was justified by the Quran, which she interpreted as permitting ransom demands, though not murder.
“It is written in the Quran that if you kidnap someone and receive the ransom, you release them. However, when the ransom was delayed, and our security was compromised, we decided to kill her. The Quran allows killing such a person,” Nakandi alleged.
Nakandi further explained that Magara was brought to her home in Nateete on February 7, 2018, at approximately 8:30 pm by Yusuf Lubega, Hassan Kato Miiro, and Abubaker Kyewolwa.
“They arrived in a car, and her face was covered with a cloth, with tape over her mouth. They briefly sat in my living room while I prepared the bedroom. I later took her to the room. I introduced myself, though she couldn’t see because her face was covered,” Nakandi recounted.
She added, “I told her not to fear; our goal was not to kill her, just to get the ransom. She was calm and kept asking to speak with her father so that he could pay and secure her release.”
Susan Magara murder suspects in court
Nakandi described Susan as humble, and said they often shared meals together during her captivity.
After about a week and a half, Magara was moved to Abdul-Raham Azizi’s home in Konge, Makindye. Nakandi said Lubega drove them from Nateete to Konge.
“We kept her at Konge for about a week, and I was the one looking after her. Our plan was to hold her for a few days to get the ransom. But when it was delayed, Abbas Musa Buvumbo cut off her fingers. He injected her first to numb the pain, then chopped off her fingers while Yakub Byensi and Muzamir Ssali recorded the incident on a phone. The video, along with the severed fingers, was sent to her family, which prompted them to pay the ransom,” Nakandi explained.
After her fingers were severed, Buvumbo provided medicine for the wounds, Nakandi said. But as the ransom delay continued and their security became increasingly compromised, they decided to kill her.
“Buvumbo gave her a lethal injection, and she died. He was a medical student, so he knew how to do it. Byensi, Kyewolwa, and Buvumbo disposed of the body, while I stayed behind,” Nakandi recounted.
Toy pistol used
Kyewolwa, another suspect, admitted they used a toy pistol during the kidnapping, fearing Magara might be armed. He said Yakub Byensi was their leader and that he, Byensi, Buvumbo, and Ssali were present when they collected the ransom from Ndejje-Lubugumu in Makindye Ssabagabo, Wakiso district.
“We used three motorcycles and parked a distance away. A woman came and dropped a light blue bag. I picked it up because I knew people wouldn’t suspect me,” Kyewolwa explained.
Regarding the disposal of Magara’s body, Kyewolwa said he stayed in the vehicle while Buvumbo and Byensi dumped the body.
The video was played in court after Inspector of Police Robert Icoot testified. The reconstruction was conducted on May 16, 2018, after Nakandi, Kyewolwa, Miiro, and Buvumbo allegedly confessed and agreed to lead detectives to various crime scenes.
The case has been adjourned to October 2, when Icoot will finish his testimony before being cross-examined by defense lawyers. Icoot is the 21st prosecution witness in the case.
Susan Magara
Background
Susan Magara, 28, was kidnapped on February 7, 2018, along Kabaka Anjagala Road in Mengo, a Kampala suburb, while driving home to Lungujja, just three kilometers away. Her kidnappers initially demanded $1 million (about sh3.65b) for her release. Despite her family delivering $200,000 (about sh700m), Magara was murdered, and her body was found three weeks later in Kigo, Wakiso district, on February 27, 2018.
11 Suspects
Nakandi, Kyewolwa, Buvumbo, Ssali, Miiro, and Lubega are facing charges alongside Hussein Wasswa, Amir Ismail Bukenya, and Mahad Kisalita, a former imam from the Usafi mosque in Mengo-Kisenyi, Kampala. Two other suspects, Byensi and Hakim Lugolobi, remain at large.
Chief state attorneys Sherifah Nalwanga, Joseph Kyomuhendo, and Irene Nakimbugwe are prosecuting the case. John Kabagambe, Benjamin Wanda, Richard Kumbuga, and Zaina Nabukenya are representing the accused on state brief.
Allegations
The prosecution alleges that on February 7, 2018, the suspects kidnapped Magara with the intent of securing a ransom for her release. The indictment states that the decision to kill Magara was made to prevent her from exposing the kidnappers. Part of the ransom money was allegedly used to purchase land in Mukono and Luwero districts.
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