Suspected cattle rustler shot dead in Moroto

Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A suspected cattle rustler has been shot dead by UPDF soldiers during a cordon and search operation in Lokitimo village, Lotisan sub-county, Moroto district.

Lokeris Loyep, 52, was killed on Thursday at the entrance of his gate while going to a nearby bush to answer nature’s call.

Maria Nakiru, the wife of the deceased said the husband was complaining of stomach complications in the night until 5:00am when he got up to go out and ease himself.

Nakiru says they were not aware of security deployment around their home, and only got shocked on hearing gunshots immediately the husband moved outside.

According to Nakiru, immediately after the shooting, the soldiers broke into their fence and entered inside the Manyattas ordering everyone to get out, so that they could carry on their operations against illegal guns.

Margaret Nachap, a neighbor said the security forces broke into her house and removed household items like sugar, ghee, and one liter of cooking oil that she received from a well-wisher. Nachap says they were not allowed to remove anything from the house.

Mary Namer, another neighbor also complained that she lost one bar of soap and 12,000 Shillings that she had kept under her mattress.

John Robert Adupa, the LCIII chairperson for Lotisan sub-county said the deceased had just completed his ten year sentence at Luzira prisons for illegal possession of firearms.

Adupa says that Loyep has been relying on charcoal burning to generate income to buy food for the family.

Maj. Isaac Oware, the UPDF 3rd Division Spokesperson confirmed the incident but said the forces had an organized cordon and search operation in the Manyattas where they met resistance and had an exchange of fire with armed criminals.

Oware acknowledged that in the process, the criminal gangs tried to flee away leading to the shooting of Lokeris in the waist.

He added that their intelligence had also given information that the deceased had a gun, the reason the operations were conducted around his residence.

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