Idudi residents demand transfer of police officer

Residents of Idudi Town demonstrate at Idudi Police Station on Wednesday. They accuse the officer-in charge of the police station of corruption. PHOTO BY YAZID YOLISINGIRA

Iganga.
Hundreds of residents of Idudi Town in Iganga District on Wednesday blocked the Iganga-Bugiri highway in protest demanding the transfer of the officer-in-charge of Idudi Police Station.
The residents accuse Mr Joseph Nsabimana of corruption, use of violence while conducting his duties and perpetuating illegal arrests.

Demonstrators held a procession through the town before marching to the police station were they also demanded the release of two of their colleagues whom they claimed had been arrested under mysterious circumstances on Tuesday.
They accuse Mr Nsabimana of implementing an illegal and undeclared curfew which sees him chase them out of the town as early as 7pm, thus disrupting some of their business activities.

“We are tired of him because he has become a thief. He has been collaborating with the Grade II Magistrate to arrest locals under unclear reasons so that they use the system to get money through bail,” Mr Sulayi Magumba, a resident, told the Daily Monitor.

Police led by Regional Police Commander of Busoga East, Mr Moses Muluya, fired tear gas and live bullets in the air to disperse protesters before whisking off Mr Nsabiomana to an unknown destination.

Mr Muluya, who later ordered the release of the two suspects, said Mr Nsabimana would be transferred to create a better relationship between the police and community.

Let off hook
This is the second time residents are calling for Mr Nsabimana’s transfer.Last year, they staged a demonstration, accusing him of lack of professionalism but he was retained after the Professional Standards Unit cleared him of any wrong doing.