Kampala — The elite Special Forces Command (SFC) has distanced itself from a man arrested for allegedly extorting money at the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) offices in Kololo, saying he is not one of its officers. SFC Public Information Officer Captain Julius Kabandize said in a statement issued Wednesday evening, September 9, 2026, that Yonasan Tibenderana is neither a serving officer nor a soldier and is not a member of the Special Forces Command.

Kabandize said claims that Tibenderana is an "SFC Captain" are false and misleading. "The SFC strongly condemns the illegal act of impersonating military officers to defraud citizens," the statement said. Tibenderana, 35, was this week arraigned before Nakawa Grade One Magistrate Rhoda Acham Ochom on charges of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 285 of the Penal Code Act.

However, court records identify Tibenderana as a serving SFC Captain, creating a discrepancy between the court charge sheet and the military unit's position. According to the prosecution, on September 1, 2025, at NIRA offices in Kololo, Kampala, Tibenderana obtained 200,000 shillings from Juliet Apio after allegedly claiming that he could process an express national identity card for her. Tibenderana was arrested last week, and his photograph was displayed on NIRA's "Wall of Shame" alongside that of David Lutasingwa.