Community hands over Moroto’s ‘Most Wanted’ man to security

Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents of Moroto town have arrested and handed to security a man said to be on the  ‘wanted’ list, who has allegedly been terrorizing them using an illegal firearm.

Residents led by their village leaders managed to apprehend a one Moru in Katanga, a suburb in Moroto town where he has been allegedly recruiting youths into his dubious activities. He was then handed over to the UPDF where he named some of his accomplices.

Moru has been on the security wanted list for committing murder in a football hall in Katanga, several robberies, attempted murder and unlawful escape from Moroto government prison on September 19, 2020.  The suspect who is said to be among the masterminds of the Moroto prison break reportedly escaped with a gun. Moru had been imprisoned for robbery and cattle rustling.

Residents also, accuse him of being involved in several gun attacks in and around Moroto town and particularly the football hall attack in Katanga, which claimed one life and left another person nursing injuries. Emmy Kongai Louro, the LC 2 chairperson of Naitakwae and resident of Katanga cell, says that they decided to hand over Moru after a series of attacks against the community members, in which some people were gunned down.

He said the community has been receiving death threats from Moru and his group if they dare report them to security.

Moru is in custody at the third Division Headquarters in Moroto town where he is being interrogated. Following his arrest, four of his accomplices, all residents of Katanga in Moroto Municipality has also been apprehended. They were picked up in a joint cordon and search operation conducted by the UPDF and the police in Katanga, where they have been coordinating their criminal missions.

Security has launched a cordon and search operation to recover a gun that was reportedly being used by Moru and his accomplices. Residents have welcomed the intervention by the security operatives, saying that they have been living in fear as armed men have openly been threatening their lives.

John Olupot told URN that such operations should be conducted whenever there is information threatening the community.

Olupot says each week there are gunshots in the area and the insecurity has widely been attributed to Moru and his group. He urges the community to always report to police any suspicious persons. Police describe Moru’s arrest as a breakthrough in the fight against criminality in Moroto district.

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