Bashir Lubega, 19, a resident of Kyalugondo village in Katikamu sub-county, Luwero district has earned three years in jail for stealing a gun from a private security guard. He appeared on Thursday afternoon before the Luwero Grade One Magistrate, John Paul Obuya on two counts of theft of a gun and housebreaking.

State prosecution led by Rania Naluyima told the court that on Oct 16, 2022, Lubega broke into the house of Blair Ofwoyoruph, a private guard from Pyramid Security Company in Ntangaala village, and stole his semi-automatic rifle (SAR) that he had left behind as he was going to church for prayers.

According to the prosecution, on December 7, 2022, Lubega together with Vincent Kakooza and others still at large used the gun to shoot dead 20-year-old Leone Odongo, a private guard with SGA security company, and rob him of his firearm while on duty at Advance Smart Micro Finance in Wobulenzi town council.

The prosecution also accused Lubega of using a gun to rob Shillings 82,000 from Shamim Nalutaaya, a pump attendant at Julaw Energy Petro Station in Lukomera trading centre along the Kampala-Gulu highway. Lubega pleaded guilty to housebreaking and stealing a gun from Ofwoyoruph and asked for forgiveness.

In his ruling, Obuya sentenced Lubega to three years in prison for each of the two offences, saying he would serve the sentences concurrently. The Magistrate said that Lubega had a motive of stealing a gun to commit crimes using a deadly weapon.

Obuya later remanded Lubega and Kakooza until February 8th, 2023 when they are expected to return for committal to the high court to face the charges of aggravated robbery and killing a private guard. Prison warders whisked the convicts from the courtroom upon sentencing and transferred them to the court cells pending transportation to Butuntumula Prison.

Lubega was picked up on December 19th, 2022 from a sand quarry. He was picked up after he was identified through CCTV footage recovered from Julaw Energy Petro Station where he had stolen money from a pump attendant.

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