St Augustine Chapel at Makerere has released a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage connected to the assault and death of a Makerere University student, Emmanuel Tegu.
Tegu was allegedly lynched by a mob on June 27 but died on July 4 as a result of blunt force trauma, due to open wounds along the back, multiple cane marks on the back of the right elbow and abrasions along the abdomen and the entire back of the victim according to police post-mortem.
The CCTV footage released on Friday shows Tegu holding stones in the hands a few minutes past 10 pm on June 27 chasing policemen who had gathered outside St Augustine Chapel. Tegu, who was clad in a T-shirt and a blue trouser, emerged from the space between Makerere Administration block and St Augustine Chapel.
In the clip, police officers are seen running around the chapel as the third year veterinary student pursued them.
Police officers later fled towards the Students’ Centre that houses Centenary Bank and near Lumumba Hall where he was picked unconscious.
Tegu is seen running and jumping through the gardens in front of St Augustine Chapel following up the police officers who had ran towards Students’ Centre. However, one of the policemen is seen coming back from the side of the Students Centre.
In the CCTV footage, it seems the deceased was pursuing a particular policeman he was targeting. What is not known is why Tegu charged at the police and what followed when both the police officers and Tegu ran towards Students’ Centre.
In a statement released by the police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga, another unanswered question is why an armed policeman didn’t bother to save Tegu who had allegedly been captured by Centenary Bank security guards.
“He charged at the three private security guards but was overpowered. Enanga said the deceased was hit with metallic chairs by guards at Centenary Bank. They hit him using the metallic chairs from the visitor’s tent, and it’s at this stage that he cried out for help, which attracted about 10-15 residents from Zone 1 and West road quarters around Lumumba hall among them were a few youths who joined the private security guards and violently assaulted the victim, whom they suspected to be a thief,” Enanga said.
Mr Enanga said Tegu had earlier been found by Police Constable Farouq Mukose who was on routine patrol behind the main building near the water tank at around 10 pm.
Mukose reportedly attempted to inquire about who he was and what he was doing at such an ordinary hour, out in the cold.
“He appeared erratic and responded by throwing stones at the officer, who fired three shots in the air to scare the victim but kept charging at him. This forced the officer to withdraw and communicated to his supervisor,” Enanga said.
Centenary Bank has CCTV cameras outside and inside its premises. But police said the Centenary Bank cameras were off on a day when Tegu fell victim to mob justice.
At least four suspects who include Charles Oyugu 34, Balam Nyeko Balam, 33, an SGA security guard; Johnson Kakuru 24 and Moses Sekitoleko 21, who are all residents of Makerere, have been arrested and charged with murder of Tegu.
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