Mayanja was released on police bond last week after being dumped at Kireka. According to eyewitnesses, Juuko and Mayanja were forcefully picked by intelligence officers in Kyazanga and whisked off to unknown destination on December 12.
Since then, Juuko’s whereabouts are still unknown. On Monday, December 28, High court judge Justice Musa Ssekana issued an order instructing government to disclose the military detention facility where Juuko is being held. This followed a petition lodged by FDC through Centre for Legal Aid lawyers.
Uganda’s former international pugilist Godfrey Nyakana has decried the disappearance of former boxing teammate, Justin Juuko.
Juuko, who is said to have been arrested by government security agents from his home in Masaka three weeks ago, has not been arraigned in court for any charges. Nyakana, who alongside Juuko brought Uganda gold medals from the 1990 Commowealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, noted that such news project a bad image of Uganda as a whole.
Nyakana said: “Juuko is widely recognized internationally. So, to have him arrested, yet nothing official is communicated about his official whereabouts, and what crimes he committed, is wrong, and should not be happening.”
The former lightweight boxer told The Observer, that he went out of his way to find out what happened, once he got the news, that Juuko had been reprimanded. And when he contacted the officer in charge of the matter in Masaka, he was told that Juuko was found organizing FDC cadres in his home, to monitor the 2021 general elections.
In light of that, Nyakana asked the officer what crime Juuko had committed, and if it were there, he is officially taken to court. But, according to Nyakana, the police officer told him that he would keep him updated upon any developments. Unfortunately, the police has never reverted.
Yet, each time Nyakana has tried to find out where Juuko is, he has hit a dead end.
“There has been no information given to me, and even Juuko’s phones have been off all this time. But personally, I see no crime Justin Juuko if Juuko does work for the party he supports. I am an NRM cadre, and I am free to associate with anyone from my party and beyond without restriction, because this is a democratic country. Therefore, even Juuko should have the freedom to support whoever he wants,” Nyakana said.
That notwithstanding, Nyakana could not hide his frustration about how a national hero like Juuko is, has been treated. Internationally, Juuko, 48, is well known as one of the boxers, who flew Uganda’s flag high in international boxing. He was famously known as the ‘Destroyer’.
And in one of Juuko’s career highlights, he won the World Boxing Council (WBC) International super featherweight title. He also lost to Floyd Mayweather the WBC World super featherweight title in May 1999 and Miguel Cotto in June 2002, some of the most high-profile boxers in recent times. Juuko, who brought the first-ever international professional fight in Kampala, when he knocked out the Mexican Martin Ramirez, fought 58 professional fights.
He won 45 of them, 30 times by knock-out, lost 12 and drew one. At this point, it is a state of desperacy to find him, according to Nyakana. Nyakana said he had been told Juuko was being incarcerated somewhere at a police station near Namboole stadium. He intends to find out, and ensure he is out of custody for better due process.
jovi@observer.ug