The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest of Collins Jumaisi Khalusha, a suspected serial killer who escaped custody on Tuesday. In a public statement, the DCI announced that anyone with credible information on Khalusha’s whereabouts would receive a “significant cash reward.”
The public is urged to report any leads confidentially by calling police hotlines 911, 999, or 112, or by visiting the nearest police station.
Khalusha is one of 13 suspects being pursued by detectives after a suspected insider-aided escape from Gigiri police station. Citizen TV has learned that two police officers on duty—the cell sentry and the duty officer—are under investigation for allegedly assisting in the escape.
A suspect, who had been arrested for fraud and was detained in the station’s cells on the night of the escape, informed investigators that the escape did not involve cutting wire mesh at the jail cells’ basking bay, as initially suspected. Gigiri Police Station has six cell cubes, three on each side of a corridor.
Khalusha, who had been in custody since July 17th for a murder in Kware, was held in a cell at the far end.
Khalusha’s cell door was locked, and he had been chained to an elevated metal sheet on the ground floor. The adjacent cell housed four detainees who did not escape, while the next cube contained 12 Eritrean detainees who fled alongside Khalusha. The fraud suspect who witnessed the escape said he was brought to the cells around 9 p.m. that night and was allowed to keep some money by the officers.
He confirmed that the duty officer conducted a roll call of all detainees shortly after midnight but left the cell doors open afterward. The witness also claimed that when he arrived at the cells around 9 p.m., all the suspects, including Khalusha, were already outside their cell cubes in the corridor.
Khalusha had been unchained, and his cell door was open, allowing him access to the corridor. His handcuffs were later found abandoned in his cell, with the suspect nowhere to be found.
The witness reported seeing two police officers accepting money from one of the Eritrean detainees before they mentioned heading to the canteen. One of the officers appeared intoxicated, according to the witness. Insiders at the station confirmed that a particular corporal is known for reporting to duty while under the influence.
With the two officers absent, the 13 suspects seized the opportunity to walk freely through the report desk and disappear into the night.
At around 5:45 a.m., a woman responsible for serving the detainees and running a food joint within the station entered the cells to serve breakfast. To her surprise, some detainees were missing, prompting her to immediately inform the two officers on duty.
It took some time for the senior command to be informed of the escape after the duty Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) became aware of the situation. The witness has since identified the two police officers involved. A manhunt is currently underway to locate the escapees.
