Three police officers arrested over Nakasongola attacks

Police are holding three of their colleagues for negligence of duty following attacks on residents by machete welding thugs in Nakasongola District on two occassions. 

The detained officers are Inspector of Police, Mr Umar Ssenyonga, the Officer in Charge of Wabigalo Police Post and two others only identified as Odeke and Otuke.

They were arrested on Tuesday on the orders of Mr Asuman Mugenyi, the Director Operations Uganda Police Force and Ms Grace Akullo, the Director Criminal Investigations Directorate.

Mr Mugenyi says the officers are detained for failing to rush to the crime scene when the attackers hacked to death Fred Bulega and Fred Mujuni, both residents of Kitego village despite the fact that their post was a short distance away.

The bodies of Bulega and Mujuni were found in bushes at Wabigalo trading centre.

This was the second attack by machete-wielding men in the same area in one week.

On Thursday last week, a machete-wielding man hacked to death four people in Wabigalo village. The victims included Lozio Matovu (90), Judith Odur (38), Amos Sekanza (7) and Mesearch Mawanda (10).

So far, six people have been killed in the attacks.

According to Mr Mugenyi, the officers were away from their duty station during the second attack, which behaviour, he said, can’t be tolerated by the force.

He said that the Nakasongola District Police Commander, Ms Patience Namara and officers from the Central Police Station arrived at the crime scene before the team from Wabigalo Police Post, which is a short distance away.

Mr Mugenyi apologised to residents saying a “competent team of officers” will be deployed to man the outpost.

On Tuesday, Mr Mugenyi and Ms Akullo visited the crime scene where they interviewed residents.

Mr Nathan Musoke, the Wabigalo local council 1 chairperson asked the police directors to beef up security in the area because esidents are living in fear.

He also, on behalf of residents decried the poor staffing and facilitation of officers at the post.

The two police bosses ordered that a police patrol vehicle be deployed in the area respond to any emergency,

The arrest of the officers comes a few days after residents openly declared loss of trust in the police force because of negligence and inability to avert the machete attacks.

During a Monday security meeting in Wabigalo trading centre, residents asked Nakasongola Resident District Commissioner, Mr Dan Muganga to cause the deployment of soldiers from Nakasongola Military barracks to patrol the area, saying police has failed.