Mother Arrested for Staging Daughter’s Kidnap

Kampala Metropolitan Police have arrested a mother and daughter duo for staging the kidnapping of a 7-year-old girl and demanding a ransom of Shs 5,000,000.

According to Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson, the police received a report on January 26, 2025, about the alleged kidnapping of the minor. The suspect, who claimed to be holding the child captive, demanded a ransom from the victim’s father.

However, a team of intelligence officers and detectives was quickly dispatched to locate the child and rescue her. After tracking the suspect’s location to Kasenge Nakawuka, near the victim’s home, the team received a call from the suspect, who allowed the victim to speak with her father.

The victim was heard crying for rescue, claiming that her captors threatened to kill her. Further investigation revealed that the suspect was in contact with the victim’s mother before calling the father.

In a surprising twist, the police discovered that the kidnapping was staged by the victim’s mother, Nagadya Teo, and her 20-year-old daughter, Namukwaya Winnie. The pair used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to disguise their voices and make it seem like a man was making the ransom demands.

A Tecno phone containing a sim card used to call the complainant was recovered, and the mother and daughter were arrested and are facing charges. The police are also searching for the individual who sold them the registered sim card.

Onyango says the operation was conducted successfully, with no casualties reported. He says the suspects will face the full force of the law, and further investigations are underway.