Jinja: Police in Jinja district have arrested Rogers Ngobi, a 26-year-old teacher at Eagles Nest secondary school in Mengo Kensenyi and resident of Namusera in Wakiso district and a born of Kalalu village, Buyinda sub county Kaliro district for reportedly pouring liquid which later came to be identified as acid on his wife Shallot Kwagala, a 30-year-old.
Not only the five-months expectant mother but also the two step sons identified as Elvis Mukisa, 6, and Elijah Mununuzi of three years and Kwagala’s Auntie known as Mwima Lovisa, a 47-year-old, fellow victims of the acidic fluids.
Kwagala sustained third-degree burns on her head, face, breasts, back, and waist while Mukisa’s face and eyes were burnt. Mwima sustained burns on her right hand, and Mununuzi sustained minor spills.
Reports show that the tragedy occurs on Sunday May 19, 2024 when Ngobi stormed a family meeting intended to resolve domestic disputes between him and his wife, Kwagala. The meeting was held at the maternal home of Kwagala in Nakagyo cell, Buyengo Town Council, Jinja district over the weekend.
The meeting, according to Ngobi, didn’t yield any positive results as his wife strongly refused to return home, citing the dubious, promiscuous, and violent characters of his husband. Kwagala says her husband (Ngobi) demands sex so much to the extent of abandoning his teaching job, and he is very quarrelsome and violent, in addition to changing women every day
“I could no longer tolerate such awkward behavior prompting her and decided to run for her life,” says Kwagala who narrated how she got in touch with Ngobi in November 2023 while she was working at Mingo Hotel Kayunga.
“We met via OBs & OGs WhatsApp group of St Stephen SSS Budondo in Jinja district. He lured me to a lucrative job offer worth one hundred million shillings in Kampala. He stated that, he owns a kiosk of general merchandise worth one hundred million shillings adding to make me a co-director with additional duty of running the day to day activities of the business,” she told police.
Kwagala was left with no option apart from leaving her hospitality job in favour of the lucrative business as promised by the promising husband, only getting shocked the promises were not found Kampala. She was taken to a single rented room in Namusera in the Wakiso district with only a small mattress and jerricans in the house.
It is said that after seven months, things turned round, prompting Kwagala to leave Wakiso for her Auntie’s place in Mbaale in Mayuge Town Council, Mayuge district where Ngobi followed her up.
Ngobi went traced his wife to convince her, and he rented a single room in Mbaale, where he purportedly paid for two months to a tune of eighty thousand shillings.
“While at Mbaale the situation worsened I ran to my maternal home in Nakagyo cell in Buyengo Town Council in Jinja district I narrated my painful ordeal to my Uncles who called for an urgent meeting and from nowhere, Ngobi stormed the meeting and removed blue smaller jerrican from his pockets and poured liquid (acid) on us,” she narrated.
SP James Mubi, the Kiira region police publicist, said that the community alerted Buyengo police that swiftly responded and arrested Ngobi Rogers. He is being detained at Kakira CPS on charges of attempted murder and assault.
Nursing wounds at Buwenge General Hospital, Kwagala is pending referral to Jinja regional referral hospital in the burn unit for further medical management.
Mubi noted that prosecution led investigations are ongoing and commended the community members for whispering police about the incident.
“He has been conning very many women promising them non existent jobs and later on sexually exploiting them. His wife narrates that LC 1 chairperson is always resolving love affairs issues of Ngobi and the women he sexually exploits in the name of promising them non-existent jobs,” said Mubi.