Former UPDF soldier kills man over gambling money

LIRA
Police has confirmed an ex-soldier of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has been detained at Lira Central Police Station for allegedly killing a 32-year-old man.
The suspect, identified as Solomon Ayo, was arrested by police on Thursday afternoon after he allegedly beat Moses Opio to death.

The ex-soldier reportedly went mad after losing all his money in playing cards (gambling) to the victim nicknamed “Master Card” because of his skills in gambling at a drinking joint in Agweng Sub-county, Lira District, on Wednesday.
A crime preventer Moses Okwir said the deceased had made a lot of money from gambling on the fateful day, leaving his colleagues, including the former UPDF soldier with empty pockets.
This, he said did not go down well with the suspect who decided to follow Opio up to his house demanding that he gives him part of the money he had earned.

When Opio resisted, the ex-soldier allegedly started punching him, leaving him with serious injuries before crime preventers came to his rescue.
“I was called by the crime preventers of Awiawum village in Te-oburu parish that the two men were fighting seriously inside the house over money.
“So I rushed there immediately and found that Ayo had beaten Opio seriously with injuries all over his body and his hands were tied with a rope, so I ordered that he be untied,” Mr Okwir said.

Opio, who did not access any medical assistance, died at his home on Thursday afternoon.
The suspect was arrested by police and briefly detained at Agweng Police Station before he was transferred to Lira Central Police Station where he has been charged with murder under case file No. CRB 282/2016.
North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, David Ongom Mudong, confirmed the incident, but declined to comment any further, saying he was out of the region on official duty.