Yumbe- The continued disappearance of a 16-year-old student of Kuru Secondary School in Yumbe District since November last year has puzzled family members and the authorities.
Desire Hindum, a Senior Two boarding student, went missing after school authorities sent her to bring her parents to handle a disciplinary case at the school.
The incident happened when the students were about to sit end of year examinations.
Hindum’s father, Mr Abubakar Amidu, on Monday said she was staying with her mother in Parikile Village, Yumbe Town Council, since the couple had separated.
“I did not know that my daughter was sent home to call me to go and settle an issue at the school. If the girl committed an offence, the school administration should have used a different way of inviting me to solve the issue because sending her was too risky,” Mr Amidu said.
Family blamed
The officer-in-charge of Kuru Sub-county Police Post, Mr Victor Anyanda, blamed the school administration and the girl’s parents for keeping quiet about the matter for a long period.
“Cases of kidnap are becoming very common in Uganda, so people should not sit on such issues. My office was informed about the disappearance of the girl on April 4, 2018, yet the incident occurred in November 2017. What have the parents and the school been doing?” Mr Anyanda said.
However, the school head teacher, Mr Muzamil Munduga, said they have been using Hindum’s closest friends and the mother to locate her.
“We presented the other three students before the disciplinary committee but we waited for Desire with her parents in vain. In our tracking, the girl disappeared from home after she interacted with the mother and the letter given to her to be taken to the parents was later found in her bag [at her mother’s home],” Mr Munduga said.
Recent kidnaps
February 2018. Susan Magara was kidnapped on February 7 and her body discovered dumped at Kitiko, between Kigo and Kajjansi near the Entebbe Expressway.January 14, 2018. Three police officers were detained over kidnapping a Mulago hospital dentist and robbing him of Shs5.4m.
September 18, 2017. The Flying Squad Unit of the police rescued Mr Gerald Yashaba, who had been kidnapped by men led by a police superintendent.
