The Uganda Muslim Lawyers’ Association (UMLAS) have selected a team of 30 lawyers to battle government in court while fighting for the rights of the 35 children that were arrest from Sheikh Muhammad Yusus Kamoga’s Quran School that is located next to his home.
Sirajeh Katantazi the C.E.O for UMLAS said that police is holding the children who were arrested on June 2, 2023 illegally because it has not taken any statement from them and the mandatory 48 hrs are that are required by law to hold any suspect by police are over and it has not produced them to court.
“As Muslim lawyers, we are going to exploit any constitutional means to seek justice for the children who were brutality arrested by police. This kind of unlawful acts are unacceptable.’’ Mukasa said.
He further said that He further said that there is no violation of the law when one gathers children and team them religion and besides that the school is duly registered as an NGO with the Uganda Registration Service Bureau.
Nalukoola the publicity secretary for UMLAS said that government is targeting Muslims because whenever an incident occurs Muslims are the first to be arrested and they are tortured terribly but in most cases government fails to bring to court concrete evidence to criminize them.
He cited an example of the Gen. Katumba Wamala’s incident that occurred in Kisaasi some Muslims were arrested and after where produced to court with body wounds as a result of torture. He said that it cuts across to other areas even those who support the National Unity Platform party, the people who were arrested only Muslims are being tried in Court Marshall.
” I am wondering why government is targeting Muslims, when suspects are arrested and they are Muslims the security operatives first tortures they before they are aligned to court and in the end government drops the cases due to lack of evidence.” Counsel Nalukoola said.
He also wondered why government secretary operatives doesn’t make thorough investigations before they arrest and torture innocent people.
Nalukoola also said that if some surrenders in the event of arrest there no need of brutalizing and torturing but the CCT camera images showed a terrible torture inflicted on the suspects.
Investigations into the matter commenced after one Sarah Nabbosa received a call from her son Mukiibi Barrack, a S.2 student at St Lawrence London College, requesting her, to plead with his father Twaha Mukiibi to withdraw him from the alleged Sharia Law School and take him back to school.
The mother, a 35 year old, businesswoman of Kitinda zone, Ssabagabo Makindye, traced the home, of Sheikh Kamoga in Tula zone, Kawempe 1, but found when her son had been removed by the father.
The administrators refused to avail her more information, and chased her away. Her son had been taken away by his father Twaha Mukiibi, who picked him on the 29.05.2023, for school but instead took him for the secretive Sharia law teachings. Efforts to recover him are still ongoing.
By George Bukenya