The late David Owori
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Uganda police is tightening the noose around all people linked to the murder of SC Villa captain David Owori, with investigators expanding their arrests after tracking the footballer’s stolen iPhone 14 Pro Max and uncovering a wider network dealing in stolen mobile phones.
Police say the number of suspects in custody has now risen to four, following the arrest of two additional people believed to have bought or handled the phone after Owori was attacked and robbed.
Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke told journalists on Monday that the arrests were part of an ongoing operation targeting not only those suspected of handling stolen property, but also the people who physically carried out the fatal assault.
“We got suspects we believe are buyers of these stolen phones and arrested more two and at the moment we have four suspects and the number may increase,” Rusoke said.
The investigation began after Owori was violently attacked by unknown assailants near his home in Makindye on August 4 as he returned home at about 8pm.
The SC Villa captain was reportedly beaten severely by the attackers, who also robbed him of several belongings, including his mobile phones.
Owori was rushed for medical attention and later admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Case Clinic in Kampala. He succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday morning.
Following the attack, homicide detectives turned to the tracking technology on Owori’s stolen iPhone 14 Pro Max in an attempt to establish where the device had gone and who had handled it.
The digital trail reportedly led investigators to Bashir Munyaneza, alias “Jemo”, who is suspected of dealing in stolen electronics, and his associate, Samuel Magoba.
During the raid connected to the two suspects, police recovered 137 stolen smartphones as well as several identity documents, widening the investigation beyond Owori’s murder to a suspected black-market network dealing in stolen mobile phones.
Investigators subsequently followed the transactional trail of Owori’s phone, leading to the arrest of two more suspects believed to have purchased or handled the device after the murder.
The arrests have given police four suspects in custody, although Rusoke cautioned that the number could increase as detectives continue tracing the network.
Police are now shifting their attention from people who allegedly bought or handled the stolen property to the individuals who carried out the assault that eventually claimed the footballer’s life.
“We are zeroing on the suspects who injured the victim occasioning the death. We are interested in those who committed the offence, those who aid in its commission, before, during and after the commission of the actual offence,” Rusoke warned.
The warning suggests that investigators are pursuing a wider chain of responsibility, rather than limiting the probe to the people found in possession of the stolen phone.
Police have also warned that people who knowingly purchase stolen property connected to serious offences could face legal consequences.
The tracking of Owori’s phone has therefore become a critical lead in the investigation, enabling detectives to follow the device through successive handlers and potentially establish connections between the people who dealt in the stolen property and those responsible for the attack.
As investigations continue, police are expected to examine the evidence recovered from the suspects, trace the movement of the stolen phones and identify the people who physically attacked Owori.
For SC Villa and Uganda’s football fraternity, the investigation comes as the club continues to mourn its captain, whose death followed a violent robbery that police now believe may have links to a broader network of stolen-property dealers.
With four suspects already in custody and more arrests possible, detectives are tightening the net in an effort to establish the full chain of events surrounding Owori’s death and bring those responsible for the fatal assault to justice.
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