Violence against officers worries police leadership

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT  | The Police leadership is worried about the increasing cases of violence directed at its officers in West Nile sub region. It is alleged that a number of Police officers have been attacked, injured and killed in West Nile in the recent past.

This has prompted the police leadership to devise policing strategies in West Nile to reverse the situation ahead of the 2021 general elections.

A team of experienced police officers in community policing has been dispatched to West Nile region to engage residents and leaders with a view of developing an amicable method of keeping law and order in the area.

Police Spokesperson Fred Enanga, says when people don’t respect police, it culminates into high levels of violence that is often meted at Police officers executing their lawful duties. He cited last week’s attack and murder of police constable Moro Majid.

Moro was shot at Onyire village in Logoba parish in Moyo sub-county in Moyo district last week. The constable met his death when he and eight others responded to a disturbance call of mob justice where they managed rescue, Masegera Mansoro who was being lynched for allegedly poisoning two boys to death.

According to police, while transferring the suspect, a mob hit Moro with a stone and he fell down unconscious. It is at this point that someone in rowdy crowd grabbed his gun and shot him dead. His gun was abandoned at the scene with eight bullets.

Moro, who police described as a dedicated Police officer had had served for 9 years after joining in 2011. Four months ago, a team of Flying Squad Unit (FSU) operatives dispatched from Kampala to back up police in Arua district to hunt for the assailants of Corporal Santo Ochandwongo, the Commander Ayivuni police post.

Ochandwongo was killed brutally when thugs raided his police post where he was on duty alone. The assailants plucked out the deceased’s eyes, cut his jaws and head. Enanga says police has zeroed on a group of suspects orchestrating attacks on police officers.

Arua district made news headlines in 2018 during the by-elections to replace the former Arua Municipality Member of parliament, Col. Ibrahim Abiriga who was gunned down by unknown assailants.

Security comprising of the military and police fired live bullets and teargas when a group voters allied to Abiriga’s successor Kassiano Wadri for allegedly stoning the presidential motorcade on the eve of the by-elections.

The driver of the Kyadondo East MP, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine, Yasin Kawuma was gunned down in the chaos.

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