KAMPALA, Uganda — Police have arrested a Kampala-based music DJ, Selecta Shaban, on allegations of defrauding Shs15 million from a woman identified as Maria, a former Kadama (domestic worker) who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia.
According to police sources, Shaban was tracked down and arrested while hiding in a rented house in Kawempe following weeks of investigation. The arrest came after Maria filed a complaint accusing him of conning her out of her savings, which she allegedly sent to him during their online relationship.
During interrogation, Shaban denied being Maria’s boyfriend, claiming that the two were merely TikTok friends who interacted casually online. However, Maria insists that their relationship was romantic and that she trusted him deeply, which led her to send him money for what she believed were mutual investments and personal support.
“I never expected him to steal from me. I was madly in love with him — that’s why I trusted him,” Maria said tearfully upon confronting him after his arrest.
The story has since gone viral on social media, drawing mixed reactions from netizens. Some online users, humorously referred to as “in-laws,” suggested that Shaban may have been deceived by Maria’s online appearance, joking that “he probably saw her without the filters for the first time and couldn’t believe it was the same person.”
Police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing, and Shaban is currently in custody pending further questioning and possible charges related to obtaining money by false pretenses.
