Ex-police Officer Arrested for Allegedly Impersonating Traffic Officers on Entebbe Road.
By Amos Ssemuwemba
A former counter-terrorism officer, Isaac Newton Ojok, 36, has been arrested for allegedly posing as a traffic officer on Entebbe Road, extorting money from unsuspecting motorists. Ojok, dismissed from the Uganda Police Force a few months ago over disciplinary issues, reportedly turned to illegal activities after struggling to make ends meet.
According to authorities, Ojok would station himself along the road where legitimate traffic officers had left, pretending to be one of them. “Whenever traffic officers left Entebbe Road, he would deploy himself and start stopping motorists from whom he would always solicit money or threaten them with express penalty tickets,” revealed a source privy to the investigation.
The scheme, which allegedly went on for several months, remained undetected until a tip-off reached the officer in charge at Usafi Police Station. “We received credible information from a concerned citizen, which led us to Ojok’s location. He was caught in the act and arrested immediately,” confirmed the officer in charge.
Ojok is currently detained at Usafi Police Station as investigations continue. A case has been registered under reference number 22/19/09/2024.
This is not the first time such incidents have occurred. Earlier this month, 40-year-old Jackson Mukasa, a resident of Masese landing site in Jinja City, was arrested for impersonating a Field Forces Unit (FFU) officer. Nicknamed “Afande Kawo,” Mukasa allegedly offered fake phone tracking services, charging victims between UGX 500,000 and UGX 2 million.
In response to these recurring incidents, the Uganda Police Force has issued a stern warning. “We urge the public to be cautious and report any suspicious behavior to authorities. Impersonation of police officers is a serious crime that erodes public trust in law enforcement,” a police spokesperson said, adding that they are ramping up efforts to crack down on such fraudsters.
