Activist Praise Aloikin Details Physical Abuse and Death Threats Following Forced Abduction
KAMPALA, UGANDA — Human rights activist Praise Aloikin Opoloje has recounted harrowing details of her abduction, physical assault, and death threats at the hands of security operatives following her capture on Saturday evening.
In a phone call from the Central Police Station (CPS) in Kampala, Opoloje detailed the sequence of events following her forced detention by unidentified men operating a unmarked vehicle commonly referred to as a “drone.”
En Route to Entebbe: Assault and Verbal Threats
According to Opoloje, her captors initially drove her in the direction of Entebbe while stating she was being targeted for criticizing political leadership. During the journey, security personnel began physically assaulting her inside the vehicle, warning that harsher treatment awaited her at a secondary location.
During the ordeal, one operative explicitly threatened her life, claiming they could kill her, place her body in a bodybag, and dispose of it without facing accountability. Opoloje noted that operatives also made explicit threats of sexual violence during the transit.
Sudden Reversal and Transfer to Central Police Station
The vehicle’s trajectory changed abruptly after an operative received a phone call ordering the team to abandon the trip to Entebbe and return to Kampala. Opoloje recalled that the occupants expressed visible frustration over the countermanding order before redirecting the vehicle to the Central Police Station in Kampala.
Upon arrival at CPS, Opoloje reported that officers checked her into the female holding cells without officially recording her booking details. When she questioned the procedure, officers threatened her with violence to compel her silence.
Coerced Documentation and Pending Charges
In a subsequent call to a colleague present during her initial abduction, Opoloje stated that authorities were attempting to force her to sign unidentified documents without legal review.
Civil society organization Agora Discourse confirmed it has secured legal representation for Opoloje. State authorities are expected to present her in court on charges of broadcasting without a license under section 28 of the Uganda Communications Act, related to content posted on her TikTok account. Rights organizations and legal teams continue to demand her immediate release and an investigation into her treatment while in custody.
