Police arrest 14 'disciples' in Lira, hunts for 'Jesus'

LIRA. Police have arrested 14 followers of a man who calls himself Jesus Christ, in Lira District.
Among those arrested are two pupils of Primary Six, who had stopped going to school.
The followers who called themselves disciples of the man, had sold all their family possessions and were camped in Akwo village, Abunga Parish in Barr Sub-county purportedly waiting for the end of the world in October.

Police and local authorities told Daily Monitor on Tuesday that people had a high regard for a man who called himself Yesu (Luo name for Jesus), and they believed anything he said.
It is said that the 30-year-old man claimed he died, went to heaven and God sent him back on earth to announce the end of the world.
He also told his followers that God gave him a revelation that people who believe in him and his prophesy of the end of the world would actually go to heaven.

However, 14 people were arrested on Monday after heavily armed police officers led by the officer in charge Barr Police Station, Mr Robert Tobby Agwech, raided the camp. It was at this point that the leader fled, Mr Agwech said. The suspects have since refused to talk.
Police say they found dozens of elderly people, children and youth cooking and eating. At least three female and 11 male youth between the ages of 18 and 20 were apprehended.
According to police, the leader’s real name is Alex Okello, a resident of Akwo village.

“Okello convinced his father, mother, wife, children and neighbours that they should remove the children from school, shun work, sell their valuables and prepare a meal together at his home as they wait to go to heaven,” Agwech told Daily Monitor on Tuesday.
“So on Monday, we stormed the place and arrested 14 people but Okello managed to escape. We arrested his father and other relatives. However they have all refused to talk and we have not yet recorded their statements,” Mr Agwech added.

Police are calling upon religious people to continue praying in a desperate attempt to make the suspects come back to their right senses. If this is done, it would enable police to record their statement before they can be transferred to Lira Central Police Station, about 20 kilometres away from Lira Town.
The District Police Commander, Mr Joel Tubanone, said he was still heading to the place.

“Right now I am going to the place to find out about this man who calls himself Jesus,” Mr Tubanone said on Tuesday.
The chairman LC3 of Barr Sub-county, Mr Tom Edward Lemo, said the group that called themselves Jesus Hammer has been in the area for a long time and their numbers were increasing day by day.
He said at the time police stormed the area, there were about 20 people but others escaped the arrest.
“We are taking this matter very seriously because we don’t want what happened in Kanungu to happen here again,” Mr Lemo said.

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