By Matthew Okello
TORORO
Police in Tororo district has rescued 13 victims suspected to be trafficked by a yet to be identified pastor on disguise of offering them free education.
The 12 boys and one girl were lured by this pastor from Kabong district to come to Tororo district where they were allegedly going to pursue their education from.
The children were rescued by police on Friday, 17th February, 2023 after tip off by a landlady from where the 13 were crammed in one small rented room.
According to one of the students, the pastor got three of them and gave money to come and rent a room in Tororo town as they wait for him to come.
The three then went and rented a room in Bison C commonly known as Juba in Western division in a home of a woman popularly known as Mama Arafat.
After offering them the room, it’s reported that the children’s number shot from three to 13 including one girl staying in one room what left the land lady suspicious and immediately called the LCIII Chairperson of western division, Al-Jamal Mayandi to rectify the situation.
It was through this that the chairperson discovered that the children were trafficked by unknown pastor alleged to be from Tororo who was in constant communication with them.
Mayandi decried the miserable state of the children hence warning parents from dumping their children with unknown persons in the name of education.
The Bukedi South police spokesperson, Moses Mugwe confirmed the incidence noting that the rescued children are currently being kept at Tororo central police as they plan to rejoin them with their families.
He also noted that the victims are currently undergoing social-psycho support as investigation into the matter commences.
He asked the general public to continue being vigilant so that they can jointly weed out dangerous persons in the community.
