Police Officer Shoots, Kills Money Lender Over Loan

Uganda Police Constable Ivan Wabwire went on a rampage and shot a money lender after being told he owed the service provider Shs2.1 million (N310,431.04). 

One of the police officers in Kampala is wanted for murder after it was claimed that he shot and killed a money lender at Raja Chambers on Parliamentary Avenue.

Patrick Onyango, a spokesman for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, identified the shooter as PC Ivan Wabwire, badge number 67029.

Uttam Bhandari, an Indian national and the director of TFS Financial Services, was the gunshot victim at 1:00 p.m.

“The client who is also a police officer called PC Ivan Wabwire first came yesterday (Thursday) and met the director of TFS financial services to verify how much he owed the company,” Onyango said.

According to reports, the police officer has been paying off two debts since 2020. The first loan was coded (deducted immediately from his paycheck), but not the second.

“He could just come and pay whenever he got the money for the second loan. 

"They calculated and told him he owed the company Shs2, 130,000. Yesterday, he said the bank where they are paying his salary wanted the calculations so that they can offset all the loans and see how they could progress with him. 

"He had returned on Thursday for further verification," Onyango explained.

He became enraged when informed of the sum and began to argue, ignoring the number and alleging that it was exaggerated.

"One of the workers who were inside said the officer first shot at the CCTV cameras inside the office. Everybody who was inside took off. We still don't know what happened thereafter.

"We have called our CCTV team to come and retrieve the footage and analyse to see what happened," Onyango said.

Following the shooting, PC Wabwire, who is presently at large, hopped on a boda boda bike and sped to Kampala's Central Police Station, where he left the AK47 gun he used to kill the man. 

Police did, however, say that they will find him and arrest him.

"When you commit a crime, Uganda gets very small. He can be captured at any time. 

The police spokesman said, "It is unfortunate that an officer of that calibre would turn to shooting instead of resolving the issue amicably."