Student shot dead by robbers in Soroti

A student at Soroti Pharmaceutical College was Friday night shot dead by unidentified gunmen riding a motorcycle.

The acting East Kyoga regional Police spokesperson, ASP Edison Obukulem, said Patrick Olinga, 23,  a second year student at the institution was shot in the chest and died on spot. “On Friday night a case of murder by shooting was registered at Soroti East Division police. It's alleged that the deceased left his home at about 10pm, as he was going to join his fellow students at Cloud-9 Club for Campus night,” ASP Obukulem said in a statement on Saturday.He added that along the way, the deceased met his friend one Benard Edonu and stopped to greet him.“As they were still standing, they saw two men standing besides a parked motorcycle along Enuyu road who then ordered Edonu to give them a laptop bag he was carrying which contained a laptop, ATM card and a medical insurance card which he did and later ordered to lie down,”he said.ASP Obukulem said the Edonu did not follow the orders (of lying down) but instead his friend (Alinga) jumped on the gunman.“During that scuffle, Edonu due to fear, ran away leaving his friend struggling alone with assailants who overpowered him and in turn shot him dead. The assailants later jumped on their motorcycle and rode off to an unknown destination,” he said.ASP Obukulem said the body was found lying in a pool of blood at the scene. “It has been established that the assailants were two, armed with one gun which was used in the act of shooting and robbery. The assailants mission was to rob the deceased's friend who operates a mobile money shop in the area,” he said.Police findings also indicate that the spot where the incident occurred is too dark and the assailants took advantage to execute their mission.The body was conveyed to the Soroti hospital mortuary for postmortem.