By Eddie Ssejjoba
The Police in Mukono district were Thursday, April 14, still hunting a builder who allegedly suffocated his girlfriend and locked her body in their room before fleeing.
He allegedly hid the keys of the room and later called his brother-in-law, asking him to find the keys and remove the body.
The body of Rahumah Tebandeke, 27, working in the survey office in Mukono, was Wednesday morning, April 13, found by the Police in the boyfriend’s bed and wrapped in bedsheets.
The boyfriend, only identified as Ismael, is a mason and tenant in Nsambwe LC1 Zone in Mukono district.
After allegedly suffocating his girlfriend, he wrapped her body in the bedsheets and called his brother-in-law, Faisal Jjuuko.
Ismael allegedly informed Jjuuko that something wrong had happened and that Tebandeke had died, but he had locked her body in their room and hid the keys.
He did not inform anyone else, but he directed Jjuuko to where he had hidden the keys. It is said he only told him that she had died, but he was scared and decided to hide.
The Kampala Metropolitan Police deputy spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, confirmed the incident and said the Police were hunting Ismael for alleged murder.
According to Owoyesigyire, the boyfriend is believed to have strangled Tebandeke and later locked the body in the house.
“He later fled to an unknown destination. The Police are currently looking for the suspect,” he stated.
The Police visited the scene and later conveyed the body to the city mortuary at Mulago for a post mortem examination.
A copy of the post mortem report done on April 13, 2022 and signed by Dr. Richard Ambayo was later given to the relatives indicating that the cause of death was ‘consistent with asphyxia death (Asphyxia is a condition of deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing, or inability of a person to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. It can cause coma or death).
The case is registered as SD 52/13/04/2022 Mukono Police Station.
According to Jjuuko, when he checked the place where Ismael directed him, he indeed located the keys and on opening the room, he found Tebandeke’s body on their bed.
He said he did not know about any misunderstandings between the two lovers and he was shocked about the incident.
Jjuuko said Ismael continued communicating with different people, while only saying he was scared and decided to hide.
The Police later handed over the body to the relatives and burial was scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 14 at Nsotoka village in Kayunga district at the home of her father, Saidi Tebandeke.
Jjuuko said Ismael later switched off his two known mobile phones, but would occasionally switch them on and off.
One of the bodaboda riders in the area, however, told the Police that he received a call from Tebandeke at about 9:30pm on Wednesday April 13, asking him to give her a ride to her boyfriend’s home.
He said he usually transported her because the two were living in separate homes, but the boyfriend was ever working away.
He alleged that during their usual chat, Tebandeke disclosed to him that her boyfriend was making frantic calls for her to go immediately yet he was not yet at his home.
“She was jolly and did not mention that they had any issues,” he allegedly said.
