KAMPALA – Police have revealed the arrest of one Abdallah Kabanda Musa, a coordinator of Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) activities in Kampala.
The revelation was made by the Police spokesperson, Fred Enanga.
“He was the leader of the ADF terror cell in central Uganda. At the time of his arrest he was actively involved in the recruitment and radicalization of youths and was in charge of putting in place plans of attacks against security personnel, security facilities and VIPs within the country,” Enanga said.
Enanga says that the home of the suspect commonly known as Mogo was last week raided by a joint team of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence and Police in Katooke A village in, Wamala parish in Wakiso disitrct.
He explained that intelligence information has it that the ADF remnants have plans to cause harm in different parts of the country by attacking security installations, adding that Kabanda was coordinating these activities.
Security also believes that the suspect was part of the wider group that assembled the suicide jackets, some of which were used during last year’s double bomb attacks at the Central Police Station and along Parliamentary Avenue.
“Some of the exhibits including improvised explosive devices that were left behind by the suicide bomber who died in the CPS attack were recovered from Kabanda’s home in Katooke village, an SMG rifle with nine rounds of ammunition, three simcards,11 mobile phones, a flash device with radical materials and cash shs500,000 plus a motorcycle,” Enanga said.
Has terror background
The joint security spokesperson explained that Kabanda is not new to security after being arrested in 2015 over the 2010 twin blasts at Lugogo and Ethiopian Village restaurant in Kabalagala but was later released on bail prompting him to join ADF.
“He previously subscribed to Al Shabaab and during the hearing of the case against the terrorists behind the 2010 bombings, he was captured registering names of security personnel who were involved in the investigations and other details concerning the officers like motor vehicles. After release on bail in 2020, he established contact with ADF in DRC.”
According to Enanga, Kabanda was directly in contact with ADF commander, Meddie Nkalubo who is suspected to have planned and commanded the recent attacks in Kampala that led to the death of over 9 people and assassination of high-profile persons in Uganda.
“The brother in law to Kabanda, one Muhammad Kisambira is one of those who were involved in the assassination attempt on Gen Katumba Wamala last year and is currently on remand,” he said.
The police spokesperson described the arrest as a major setback in the plans by the remnants of the ADF to cause any havoc in revenge for the ongoing operation in DRC.
“We remain dedicated and determined in our efforts to thwart terrorism, counter-terrorism financing and extremist ideologies in the country.”
The development comes on the backdrop of continued success stories registered by the UPDF in the ongoing joint operation with the Congolese forces, FADRC in the DRC forests against the ADF.
Whereas several ADF fighters have been killed, weapons recovered and some of the abductees rescued, the joint forces have also captured a number of the ADF camps in the thick DRC forests.
