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Ugandan man jailed 40 years for burning wife, three children to death

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A 45-year-old Ugandan man, Vianney Armstrong Ahimbisibwe, has been sentenced to 40 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of setting his wife and three children ablaze after an altercation.

The sentence was handed by Judge Samuel Emokor of the Kabale High Court on Wednesday, after Ahimbisibwe pleaded guilty to committing the crime in Habutobere Village, Muko Sub-county in Rubanda District.

Justice Emokor, while delivering the ruling, said although Ahimbisibwe did not waste the court’s time, he had “committed a grave crime of rudely taking away the lives of his immediate family members for which he should be punished severely.”

“While the convict asked for a lenient punishment, appeared remorseful and regrets his actions, the court contends that the offences he committed were grave and calls for a death sentence once proved guilty,” the judge said.

“Putting into consideration the submission of the state prosecution calling for a deterrence sentence by punishing the convict basing on the number of people he murdered, the fact that he did not take lives of foreigners but his immediate family members to achieve his pre-determined evil motives, he is hereby sentenced 40 years for each count of murder.”

“The sentence shall run concurrently starting from the day of issuing this judgement and the convict has the right to appeal against this ruling within 14 days in case he is not happy with it,” Justice Emokor added.

Ahimbisibwe had reportedly torched an apartment occupied by his estranged wife, Rovinah Muheki, 43, his sons Edwin Tumworobire, 17, and Westlife Akampumuriza, 15, and daughter Maria Akwire Akinamushabire, 5.

According to the prosecutor, the convict had separated from his wife following a misunderstanding and was staying in a different home.

The prosecution stated that on June 12, 2021, at around 8pm, Ahimbisibwe went to the deceased wife’s shop /bar located at Hisesero Trading Centre in Muko Sub-county, Rubanda District, where he found her with their children.

“He then started assaulting one of his sons (survivor), Bob Mathius Muheki, demanding to know why he did not finish ferrying sand on his construction site. But other residents intervened and rescued the boy from his father.”

“Later, when the wife and the children got home, a neighbour alerted them to take precaution because he had seen the angry husband hiding in an unfinished building next to their home.”

“Later at around 10pm, the neighbours heard people screaming inside the house, and found it on fire. All the occupants died in the fire. Investigations further revealed that Ahimbisibwe had been seen earlier that night at a nearby fuel station with a jerrycan.”

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Nigerian Senate confirms influx of terrorists from Mali, Burkina Faso into the country 

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The Nigerian Senate has raised the alarm over the influx of terrorists from Mali and Burkina Faso who operate in the name of Lakurawa, into Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna and Niger States in the northern parts of the country.

The Upper Chamber, which raised the alarm during plenary on Wednesday, called on the military to set up early warning mechanisms to forestall further incursions by terrorist groups as well as maintain presence and vigilance in the affected communities to halt the activities of the terror group from spreading further across the region.

The resolutions of the Senate were sequel to a motion titled, “Urgent need for the federal government to take stringent measures to stop the infiltration of a group of violent terrorists, known as Lakurawa, from entrenching themselves in some northwest states of Sokoto and Kebbi,” and was sponsored by the senator representing Kebbi North, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, and co- sponsored by Senators Adamu Aliero, from Kebbi Central, and Garba Musa Maidoki, representing Kebbi South.

While presenting the motion, Senator Abdullahi said:

“The Senate is aware that a group of terrorists from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali, known as Lakurawa, has infiltrated the country through the Nigeria-Niger border, at Illela, Tangaza and Silame Local Government Areas of Sokoto and are from there, attacking communities in Augie and Arewa LGAs in Kebbi State.

“Recall that this violent gang of terrorists had raided and dispossessed these communities, prior to the large-scale invasion of Mera, a village in Augie Local Government, on November 8, 2024, killing more than 20 people and fleeing with their livestock, amounting to hundreds of millions of naira.

“Senate is aware that Kebbi State government promptly responded by sending a delegation with relief materials to the affected villages and assistance to the families of the deceased.

“Aware that Senator Yahaya A. Abdullahi (Kebbi North) and Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi North Central) and Senator Garba Musa Maidoki (Kebbi South), along with some members of the House of Representatives from Kebbi State, have been to those areas, to commiserate with victims of the attacks on behalf of the National Assembly.

“Aware that if timely, adequate and decisive measures are not taken, this group can spread its reign of terror to other northern parts of the country and beyond.

“Notes the prompt response of the ministry of defence and the armed forces who despatched a well-armed military response squad that was able to dislodge the terrorists and secured the release of herds of cattle and other livestock stolen by the terrorists. These foreigners have invaded the country.

“We need to nip the situation in the bud, they have international connections, heavily armed with very dangerous weapons, the federal government should take the matter very seriously.

‘These terrorists are well armed with highly sophisticated weapons, this is a very serious matter on national security, they control the whole of Northern Mali and now attacking Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Niger, and others. The time to act is now, we have to take action on how to tame terrorism.”

He said the Senate should revisit past resolutions on terrorism and send them to the Presidency for immediate action.

”I want us to recall what happened in the 8th and 9th Senates. We discussed extensively how we can stem the tide of banditry and terrorism. We made far-reaching recommendations, and we asked the Executive arm of government to implement those resolutions.

“It is still relevant for us to insist that those resolutions should be implemented, if we do so, it will reduce the incidences of banditry and insurgency in the country. We can reduce it to the barest minimum.”

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Wanted Zambian MP who escaped from prison custody captured in Harare

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A fugitive Zambian Member of Parliament (MP), Emmanuel Banda, who escaped from custody at the Chipata Prison in Eastern Province has been captured in Harare, Zimbabwe, where he had been in hiding in a rented apartment.

Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, Jack Mwiimbu, who confirmed the apprehension of the Petauke Central lawmaker during a media briefing held at the Ministry Headquarters in Lusaka on Tuesday, said Banda had escaped from lawful custody in August this year where he was facing aggravated robbery charges and was being held by Zambia Correctional Service while awaiting court appearance as he had been committed to the high court.

Zambia Monitor reports that after Banda’s escape, his wife, Lombe Chali, was arrested and charged with aiding a prisoner to escape, with the police assuring the public that no stone would be left unturned as they worked to ensure justice was served.

While addressing the press conference, Mwiimbu said:

“Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda was renting a flat in Harare and did not give himself up willingly during his arrest by the Zimbabwean law enforcement agencies.”

The Minister also accused the opposition Patriotic Front (PF) of knowing the whereabouts of Banda and were allegedly communicating with him during the time of his disappearance which can be seen from the several statements which had been made.

Mwiimbu said the PF members that include former president Edgar Lungu had made statements accusing government’s involvement in his disappearance and suggesting that they knew about Banda’s whereabouts.

“Now that he has been captured, Emmanuel Banda will now tell us the truth about how he escaped from custody. We learnt of Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda’s whereabouts two weeks ago and discovered that he was enjoying good health,” he stated.

Mwiimbu stated that the Zambian authorities were collaborating very well with their Zimbabwean counterparts, saying Banda was apprehended by security officials from that country.

He also emphasized that the Zambian government was putting up measures to ensure Banda’s return to Zambia had no security lapses.

“The government wants to know who facilitated his escape, who has been facilitating his wife’s visit to Harare to those flats now that he has been captured,” Mwiimbu said.

In May 2024, Banda was reported missing and his vehicle found abandoned with shattered windshield and a note apologising to Zambians.

Following his escape, the Zambia Police placed a K2 million bounty on Banda, who had escaped from lawful custody while receiving treatment at Chipata General Hospital in Eastern Province.

According to Mwiimbu, Banda now faces an additional charge of escaping from lawful custody.

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