Fear Grips Ibanda Communities Over Reported Attempts to Abduct School children

Fear has gripped communities in Kagongo Division, Ibanda Municipality, following a series of reported attempts to abduct schoolchildren, with parents calling for urgent and thorough investigations into the incidents.

Parents and school authorities in Mahega and Rugazi say children are increasingly afraid of travelling to and from school following reports of children being intercepted along commonly used routes.

At least three incidents have been reported in different parts of Ibanda this year, although authorities have not established whether the cases are connected or identified the motive behind the alleged attacks.

One of the latest incidents occurred on July 27, 2026, involving a 13-year-old pupil of Rugazi Primary School.

According to his mother, Mackline Ngabirano, the boy left their home in Mahega Cell, Kikucu Ward, heading to school but was reportedly intercepted along the way.

Ngabirano said she later received a phone call informing her that her son had been picked up and taken to a nearby police station following an alleged attempt to abduct him.

The boy's father, Joseph Mwesigye, reported the matter to police, leading to the arrest of a suspect.

However, the suspect was later released on bond after police reportedly said they had not obtained sufficient evidence linking him to the alleged offence.

Speaking to Nile Post, the child said he knew the person he believed had attempted to take him and identified him as a community member known as Mugabe.

Francis Matsiko, the Kikucu Ward chairperson, confirmed the incident and said it had raised concern among residents.

“The incident happened in the area and it has caused concern among the community. Before the incident, the child was in stable condition, but the reports have created fear among parents,” Matsiko said.

The July incident was not the first reported case in the area.

On February 17, 2026, a 15-year-old pupil of Rugazi Primary School from Nyamiyaga II in Rugazi Cell, Nyakatokye Ward, reported a similar encounter while travelling to school.

His father, Charles Asiimwe, said his son left home at about 6 a.m. but later returned home frightened.

Asiimwe said he took the child to school and informed the administration before reporting the matter to police.

The pupil told Nile Post that he encountered a man he believed to be the same person accused in the July incident.

He alleged that the man tried to grab him, prompting him to resist, run away and hide.

The child further alleged that the man followed him, found him and pulled out a knife, but he managed to escape. During the struggle, his shirt was reportedly torn.

The head teacher of Rugazi Primary School, Bridget Tusiime, said the child returned to school and reported what had happened to him.

“The child came back to school and narrated what had happened to him. The incident has created fear among parents, so we have advised our pupils not to move alone but to travel in groups,” Tusiime said.

The concerns have since spread beyond Kagongo Division.

On August 10, 2026, another incident was reported in Inshongoro Town Council involving a two-and-a-half-year-old girl at Muziza Primary School.

The child's mother, Abia Kyarikunda, said she was called by the head teacher and informed that her daughter had disappeared from the other children during a school general-cleaning exercise.

When Kyarikunda reached the school, she said the child had been found with blood stains on her body, a cut on her forehead and a swollen head.

“I was called and told that my child had disappeared while the children were cleaning. When I reached the school, I found her with blood on her body, a cut on the forehead and a swollen head. I am now taking care of her as she recovers,” Kyarikunda said.

However, Kyarikunda said she had no evidence linking her daughter's injuries to the suspect accused by residents in the earlier incidents.

The allegations have sparked concern over the safety of children and the effectiveness of investigations into the reported incidents.

The suspect named by residents declined to comment when approached by Nile Post after realising he was speaking to a journalist.

Rwizi Regional Police spokesperson SP Samson Kasasira declined to comment on the cases, saying he had not yet been briefed about them.

However, Ibanda Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Mbetegyereize confirmed that authorities had received reports of attempted abductions involving children.

He said at least three such incidents had been reported in the district this year.

“We have received reports of attempted abductions involving children, and at least three incidents have been reported this year. What concerns us is how some of these cases are being handled,” Mbetegyereize said.

The RDC questioned the adequacy of police investigations, particularly the decision to release the suspect before establishing what had happened.

“We need proper investigations on the ground. Before releasing a suspect, police should establish the facts and gather sufficient evidence so that the community can have confidence in the process,” he said.

Meanwhile, parents remain worried about allowing their children to travel alone to school.

The allegations have also fueled speculation among residents that the children could be targeted for ritual sacrifice, although there is currently no established evidence linking the reported incidents to such a motive.

Authorities have urged communities to rely on evidence and allow investigations to establish the facts.

For now, schools are encouraging pupils to move in groups, while parents are demanding faster and more thorough investigations into the reported incidents.

Until authorities establish what is behind the incidents, the journey to school for many children in the affected communities remains a source of fear and uncertainty.