Police arrest father, brother of man wanted over alleged cannibalism in Lwengo

Police in Lwengo District are holding the father and brother of a man wanted for alleged human cannibalism.

The arrested people have been identified as Hussein Lule, 61, the father, and his son, only identified as King, to aid police investigations into the missing 27-year-old man accused of killing and eating an unidentified woman.

Habasa Muzaffar, a resident of Kigeye B Village, Malongo sub-county in Lwengo District, is currently on the run after reportedly killing a woman whose remains were found inside his house.

Last Friday, residents of Kigeye were shocked to find a sack with human remains, which prompted them to search Habasa's house, where they found another fresh hand, a weave, some bones, and several other human bones.

Lule, the suspect's father, who is in police custody, says that he is not aware that his son is a cannibal, though he has been known for abusing drugs.

“I was shocked to receive information that my son had been found with human remains. We don’t have a history of such strange habits, and I was not aware that my son had developed such a character, though he is a drug addict,” he said.

Emanuel Ssempereza, the village chairperson, says that the village is on alert, waiting for what is likely to happen following the shocking incident that befell their village last Friday.

“We are still in fear after people recovered clothes which are believed to have been used to bury a toddler in another bush as locals were hunting for the missing Habasa. Parents are in fear of what may happen to their children who have started coming back home for holidays. We want police to do whatever it takes to arrest Habasa,” he said.

Mr Twaha Kasirye, the Southern Regional Police Spokesperson, has confirmed the duo’s arrest, saying that their arrest will help them establish Habasa’s whereabouts.