Man murders boss after he fired him over Covid-19 low profits

Police in Uganda have arrested a man who murdered his boss after he relieved him of his duties over low income caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, DailyMonitor reports.

The suspect, Nelson Victor Ofwono is said to have killed his boss, Isaac Mugga, a former manager at a local Chilies Fast Food and Takeaway Restaurant in the country’s capital, Kampala.

Kampala Metropolitan police deputy spokesperson, Mr Luke Owoyesigyire said Ofwono alias Octopus was picked up from his hideout in Wakiso District.

Mugga’s lifeless body was found lying in a pool of blood in the restaurant on March 13, 2021 after he was allegedly attacked and stabbed by his assailants. Neighbours could not tell who had killed Mugga since they did not find anyone at the crime scene.

Workers at the restaurant told detectives that they had left Mugga balancing books in the evening before closing for the day. But to their shock, they found the restaurant wide open and Mugga’s lifeless body lying adjacent to his office.
As police were trying to figure out who was behind the murder, a neighbour, whose Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras had captured a man with a masked face entering the premises provided footage.

Upon getting the footage, police interrogated the workers and it was established that Mugga had a day earlier relieved Ofwono of his duties since the restaurant wasn’t making enough money because of the restrictions and curfew caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Police launched a hunt for Ofwono who was picked up on Tuesday from his newly rented room in Nansana Municipality.

The Deputy Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, said police tracked the deceased’s telephone signals until they reached his hideout.

“The police has been following clues that were captured by the CCTV cameras and it’s upon those clues that the suspect was arrested from his rented house in Katooke zone B, Nansana Municipality. Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to killing Isaac since he was demanding him Shs400, 000 salary which he (Mugga) had failed to pay after he (Octopus) was sacked. On the fateful day, Ofwono says he took Shs300, 000 from the table where Isaac was balancing the books after studying him for some time. He also took Shs20, 000 from his pocket and two phones,” Mr Owoyesigyire said.

In Uganda, the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) recorded 342 killings by stabbing in 2020. This means a person was stabbed to death almost every day.