Five-year-old girl rescued and reunited with grandmother after abduction

What the report says

Nile Post reports that a five-year-old girl, Joan Nabakooza, was rescued and reunited with her family after an alleged abduction from her grandmother’s home in Namudali Village, Kikandwa Sub-county, Mityana District. According to the article, the child was taken after attackers broke into the home of 50-year-old Joyce Nanungi while she slept with her granddaughter and later demanded a Shs4 million ransom.

The incident was reportedly first raised at Busunju Police Station in the early hours of September 1, 2026. Police said the assailants also stole Nanungi’s mobile phone and used it to contact the family during the ransom negotiations. A relative is said to have sent Shs1 million, leaving a remaining demand of Shs3 million. Joan is described as a top-class pupil at God Cares Nursery School.

Wamala Region police spokesperson SSP Lameck Kigozi said security teams, including the Mityana District Police Command, the Wamala Region Flying Squad and internal security personnel, tracked the case while trying to identify those involved. The article says the suspected captor later transported the child by motorcycle and left her in Mika, Wakiso District, where she was found by Good Samaritans and handed to police.

Police said the girl was medically examined before being returned to her grandmother, while investigations continue. The case highlights broader concerns around child safety and kidnapping-for-ransom incidents, particularly during holiday periods, which police say require close adult supervision and vigilance.