Police in Kampala has arrested a mother and her daughter for faking a kidnap in order to get ransom from the girl’s father.
Nagadya Teo, and her 20-year-old daughter, Namukwaya Winnie are now in Police cells after security discovered that Nagadya and daughter used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to disguise their voices and make it seem as though a man was making the ransom demands.
Background
On January 26, 2025, police in Nateete received a report about the alleged kidnapping of a 7-year-old girl. The suspect demanded a ransom of Shs 5,000,000 from the victim’s father.
A team of intelligence officers and detectives was dispatched to locate and rescue the child. After tracking the suspect’s location to Kasenge Nakawuka, near the victim’s home, the team received a call from the suspect, who allowed the victim to speak with her father. The victim was heard crying for rescue and claimed that her captors had threatened to kill her.
SSP Patrick Onyango said it was discovered that the kidnapping had been staged by the victim’s mother, Nagadya Teo, and her 20-year-old daughter, Namukwaya Winnie.
A Tecno phone containing a SIM card used to call the father was recovered. Both the mother and daughter were arrested and are facing charges. The police are also searching for the individual who sold them the registered SIM card.
Onyango stated that the operation was conducted successfully, with no casualties reported. The suspects will face the full force of the law, and further investigations are underway.
