Locals and police in Nakasongola District are hunting for a murder suspect who attacked and gruesomely killed a couple at Posta Zone in Migyeera Town on Thursday.

Police Friday morning identified the deceased as 44-year-old Hadiija Nangobi and her 40-year-old husband only identified as Vincent.

Savannah Region Police spokesperson Sam Twineamazima told journalists that “the runaway prime suspect has already been identified.”

“Nangobi’s 12-year-old daughter witnessed the attack by a man who is said to be the former lover to the deceased woman. He used a panga to hack the couple to death at around 8pm,” police explained.

Residents suggest that the attacker “took advantage of a power black-out in the area to execute his mission as the couple was preparing supper at their rented premises.”

“We responded to an alarm made by a young girl who came running from the direction of the home. This young girl witnessed the gruesome killing by a man she already knew,” area resident Erisa Ssenono told Monitor on Friday.

The deceased were jointly dealing in charcoal with most of their customers in Migyeera Town.

Migyeera Town Council LC3 Chairperson Tonny Mukiibi said the area had been calm with less criminality cases related to murders in the past 3 months.

“The grisly murder of two residents is shocking and a wake-up call for neighbourhood watch as the attacker single-handedly executed his mission,” he observed.

Police preliminary findings indicate that the suspect had a misunderstanding with Nangobi in January 2024, leading to a separation.

Nangobi reportedly got married to Vincent in February.

The suspect has been residing at Nalukonge Zone LC1, Central Ward in Migyeera Town Council before he fled following the incident.

Investigation teams are digging into details of a possible revenge by a jilted lover leading to a heinous attack and death, police revealed on Friday.

By press time, the bodies had been transported to Nakasongola Health Centre IV mortuary for postmortem.