Lubowa, Uganda – August 21, 2025: A white man and a local boda-boda rider have been arrested after allegedly planting a fake bomb at a commercial bank in Lubowa and demanding a ransom of over Shs 600 million.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at the entrance of Absa Bank and Guild Forex Bureau, both situated within Quality Supermarket in Lubowa.
According to police sources, the boda-boda rider, identified as Madi Muteta, was handed an envelope by the white suspect referred to as “Mzungu” to deliver to the two financial institutions. When staff opened the envelopes, they discovered letters claiming that a pipe bomb had been placed at the entrances. The letters demanded a ransom totaling more than Shs 630 million in multiple currencies, including $120,000, £20,000, €20,000, and Shs 30 million.
A Kajjansi police report indicated that on August 19, 2025, around 4 pm, police received information about the letters. The scene was immediately cordoned off, and the bomb squad was deployed to investigate.
Patrick Onyango, spokesperson for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, confirmed the arrests and said investigations are ongoing. “The culprit is yet to provide his details, but everything is being done to establish his motivation,” Onyango stated.
CCTV footage from Quality Supermarket reportedly helped police trace the vehicle allegedly used by the white suspect to hand over the envelopes to Muteta. The vehicle has been identified as UAV 462V.
Muteta, 30, told police he was paid Shs 20,000 to deliver the letters and claimed he was unaware of their contents, thinking it was a simple errand to earn money quickly.
Police have confirmed that the bomb threat was a hoax, but investigations continue to determine the motive behind the attempted extortion.
