Thugs shoot three using police gun

LIRA. 

Police have said the gun used in the shooting of three people in Lira town recently was stolen from their posts at Starch Factory, Railways Division in Lira municipality in January this year. 

Two people were shot dead on March 13 when unknown gunmen raided a mobile money outlet at Ayago Trading Centre. On March 22 (Thursday), another woman was seriously injured when gunman attacked her at her mobile money outlet at Jinja camp. 

The deceased have been identified as Joseph Otim and Oliver Akello and the wounded as Sandra Ajwang. Shs5 million was reportedly stolen from Ajwang, who is currently nursing her wounds at Lira hospital. 

There have been concerns that some wrong elements were using the gun stolen from police to cause havoc in Lira.  The North Kyoga police spokesperson, Mr David Ongom Mudong, told journalists on Friday that they could not establish who was using the said gun. 

However, police had a much better clue when another bloody robbery took place at Jinja camp on Thursday. 

“This time, we cordoned off the area where the shooting took place and a gun was recovered. It is the same gun that was stolen from one of our posts,” Mr Ongom said. 

After the Thursday shooting that left another mobile money operator injured, police said a riffle registration number UG POL 563009827 was recovered near the scene of crime. 

It was reported the police gun UG POL 563009827 was stolen from Starch Factory Police Post last January. Two police officers were then arrested to aide in investigations before they were granted police bond. However, authorities in Lira did not explain how the gun was stolen. 

The North Kyoga police spokesperson added: “Now that the gun has been recovered, the officers will also be arrested and subjected to investigation so that we establish how the gun got into the hands of these criminals.”