Missing Radio Simba journalist released after 8 days.

Kampala, 13th/Nov/2010; A Radio Simba journalist Arafat Nzito who went missing 8 days ego has been released from detention after the intervention of the Human Rights Network for journalists-Uganda.

Nzito, 23, was kidnapped from Radio Simba on 4th/Nov/2010 by four plain-clothed men in a private registered Toyota double cabin at around 2:30pm.
His relatives, friends and workmates mounted a search at all police and security centers within and around Kampala in vain since his disappearance. The security and police authorities all denied knowledge of his wear-abouts.

This compelled HRNJ-Uganda to go to court over the matter and filed a Habeas corpus through their lawyer Ladislaus Rwakafuuzi on Thursday 12th/Nov, tasking the army commander, Gen. Aronda Nyakairima, the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) boss Brigadier James Mugira and the Attorney General Dr. Kiddhu Makubuya to produce the missing journalist.

The following day, Nzito secured his freedom. He was dumped at Kasasiro stage in Kamwokya, a suburb of Kampala Friday 12th/Nov/2010 in the afternoon.

“He called us at around 3:00 o’clock informing us that he was at Kamwokya where he had been dumped and that he was boarding a taxi to come to the radio. We stopped him and sent a station van which picked him and brought him to the station.” said a staff member at Radio Simba who preferred not to be named.

Sources say that Nzito was dumped by the same double cabin which kidnapped him from the radio.

Prior to his release, Nzito’s older sister Hadijah Nantambi and HRNJ-Uganda’s Ssebaggala received anonymous calls to the effect that, “Nzito has been released, find him at Simba”. Nzito was readily at Simba in about 20 minutes from then.

Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda) has since established that Nzito has been detained at the Joint Anti-Terrorism Task Force (JATT) headquarters at Kololo in Kampala-Uganda’s capital city, under horrible conditions.

“He looked stressed, dirty and couldn’t talk much or even answer to most of the questions we put to him. He had visibly lost weight”. Said HRNJ-Uganda Programmes coordinator, Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala who met him at Radio Simba

“It is very sad that after all this incarceration, no charges were brought against him. This is violence and torture at its best. It’s not clear why Nzito was kidnapped and detained for over a week. We want the security to justify this gross abuse of the law.” Demands the HRNJ-Uganda Programmes Coordinator Geoffrey Wokulira Ssebaggala

For More Information Contact;
Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda)
Kivebulaya Road Mengo-Kampala Opp. St. Marcelino Preparatory School
P.O.Box.71314 Clock Tower Kampala
Tel: +256-414-272934 /+256-414-667627
Toll Free Helpline; 0800144155
E-mail: news@hrnjuganda.org
humanrajournalists@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.hrnjuganda.org
Blog: http://hrnjuganda.blogpost.com