MAN ARRESTED BY ARUA POLICE IN FRAUD SCHEME TARGETING TEACHERS

The West Nile Regional Police Headquarters is providing an update on a recent incident of obtaining money by false pretense that occurred in Obichako village, Logiri subcounty, Arua district. The case is registered under Arua Vurra district. The facts gathered indicate that on January 16^th, 2024 at approximately 1:00pm, a report of obtaining money by fraud and personation, was made at Arua Vurra CPS, by Apio Lillian Tako, a 54 year old headteacher of Logili Girls School in Obichako village, Logiri sub county, Arua district. The report implicated a suspect named Aja Victor Adame, a 43 year old Lugbara self-employed individuals residing in Galuga Bukaya village, Katabi town council in Wakiso district.

The incident took place in September 2023, when the suspect visited the office of the headteacher at Logiri Girls Secondary School. The suspect falsely claimed to be a staff member allegedly working for the Hon. Minister of State for Higher Education. He alleged that the Minister had sent him to the school to identify qualified teachers who were not on the payroll and those deserving promotions which was false. The suspect promised that these teachers would be appointed as headteachers, and the top four students in S6 would receive government scholarships for university education.

Upon hearing this, the headteacher called for a staff meeting to relay the information. Subsequently, 31 teachers, 3 nurses and 1 lab attendant within the school became victims of the scam. The suspect demanded Ugx 1,000,000 from each victim, promising that their demands would be met by the end of December 2023. The victims, desperate to improve their circumstances, gathered the money from their savings as well as micro-loans and handed it over to the suspect, who used it to enrich himself. However, after receiving the funds, the suspect ceased communication with the head teacher, refusing to answer phone calls and eventually, switched off his mobile phone, number 0784034045, raising suspicious that he had defrauded the teachers. Consequently, the headteacher reported the matter to Arua Vurra Central Police Station, resulting in the registration of a case of obtaining money by false pretense amounting to Ugx 35 million.

The police took swift action upon receiving the report. The suspect, Aja Victor Adame, was apprehended and is currently in custody. Statements from the victims and witnesses were recorded and an exhibit of Ugx 2,000,000 was recovered. The investigation into the matter is ongoing as the police seek to gather all necessary evidence.

The West Nile Police Headquarters would like to remind the public to exercise caution and be wary of individuals making false promised and engaging in fraudulent activities. We encourage individuals who may have fallen victim to similar scams to come forward and report the incidents to their local police stations. We commend the swift action taken by the headteacher in reporting the incident, which led to the arrest of the suspect. The West Nile Regional Police Headquarters remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents within the region.

As w e conclude, the UPF continues to raise awareness about teacher fraud schemes, which occur every year. Teacher Fraud is a farm of exploitation, where perpetrators or conmen, defraud teachers of their hard earned savings, using deceptive means to scam teachers, by posing as persons in a position of trust (such as a Government or Education Officials).

The police is committed to protecting our teachers. If you believe you are a victim of fraud or know a teacher who was conned to call the National Operations Command Centre at Police Headquarters on telephone contacts 0800199699, 0707600773 or 0776999136

SCP Enanga Fred

Police Spokesperson

22nd April 2024