Man who whipped elderly woman in Arua arrested

Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Police in Arua city have in their custody a 51-year-old man who was captured on social media flogging an elderly woman at Manibe Trading Center along Arua-Koboko road.

Twalibu Avutia, a resident of Baruku cell, Baza ward, Arua central Division was on Wednesday captured on a phone camera whipping Teresa Angucia ,65, a resident of Olivu A cell, Oreku ward, Ayivu Division Arua City whom he accused of stealing his property that he left by the roadside.

In the video recording that has since gone viral and attracted public condemnation, Avutia is seen ruthlessly flogging the elderly woman as a group of youth kept on cheering. In the video footage, the suspect is also seen stepping on the head of the victim who was heard crying and pleading her innocence.

Josephine Angucia, the Police Spokesperson for West Nile region explains that the incident happened at about 1:40 pm at the bus stop stage next to the Boda boda stage after Manibe Trading Center round about along Arua-Koboko road.

According to Angucia, the matter was reported to police by the victim which compelled police to open a case of assault. She further notes that the suspect is currently detained at Manibe police station.

Preliminary police report indicates that the suspect who was waiting to travel to Maracha district left his luggage containing food stuff and other items at the bus stage at the watch of Boda Boda riders at the stage. He had rushed back home to fetch his colleagues with whom they were planning to travel with to Maracha district.

However, the victim who was expecting some food stuff from Nebbi district rushed to the same bus stop to pick her item after she got information from one of her neighbours that the food stuff had been offloaded on the same bus stop stage.

Coincidentally, the elderly woman rushed to the same bus stage and got the items unattended and checked one bag and confirmed that it had food stuff which she suspected to be the items sent from Nebbi District and later picked the bag and took it home.

Upon returning to pick the remaining items from the bus stage, the elderly woman was grabbed by the suspect after boda boda riders identified her as the woman who took the first items, prompting Avutia to start whipping the woman.

The latest incident comes in the wake of widespread lawlessness in Arua city in which over 10 suspected criminals have been lynched  in different parts of the city over the past two weeks.

****

URN