A Ugandan man identified as Hussein Walugembe in a shocking development set himself on fire inside a police station and burned to death.
It was earlier reported in the news that 29-year-old Hussein Walugembe was a boda boda rider (Uganda’s equivalent of okada) and that his bike was seized by the police for flouting COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. The police allegedly demanded a bribe of 150K Ugandan Shillings from Hussein Walugembe (around $40) but he could not pay.
On Thursday, Hussein Walugembe locked himself in a room at the police station and set himself on fire using petrol stored in a water bottle.
According to a new police statement, Hussein Walugembe was not a boda boda rider as was being reported in the media.
Image: A picture of Hussein Walugembe
In the statement released Friday July 3, police spokesperson CP Fred Enanga noted that the victim identified as Hussein Walugembe was 25 years old and not 29.
Hussein Walugembe was also not a boda boda rider but a casual worker and night watchman.
He said that Walugembe set himself ablaze after several failed attempts to reclaim his seized motorcycle – a red-coloured Bajaj Boxer.
A part of the police statement reads:
“Preliminary facts indicate that the motorcycle was impounded on June 6, 2020, by Sgt Ewalu Julius, after it was found parked at a petrol station that was undergoing construction, where the victim (now deceased), worked as a local night guard.”
CP Enanga said that Uganda’s Inspector-General of Police has assembled a team of experts to thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to the sad incident.
