Officer injured in Busiika attack dies

A police officer, who sustained injuries after an attack on Busiika Police Station in Luweero District on October 31, has succumbed to bullet wounds at Mulago National Referral Hospital.

Police Constable Steven Odama was shot seven times in the stomach and the bullets are said to have damaged his lungs and other internal organs. He has been in the intensive care unit since he was operated on.

The Luweero District Police Commander, Mr Living Twazagye, confirmed the death of their officer yesterday.

“It is true our officer ... has succumbed to the injuries early this morning. Odama sustained grievous bodily injuries in the attack where we lost two other officers,” Mr Twazagye said.

On the fateful day, about seven armed people raided the police station and shot at police officers, killing two, including Alex Wagaluka, the officer-in-charge of investigations at the station, and Police Constable Moses Ongol. Odama and Constable Adrian Ochom sustained serious injuries.

The criminals made off with police guns. By press time, police were yet to arrest the suspects or recover the guns.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Maj Gen Geoffrey Tumusiime Katsigazi, said their preliminary investigations indicate a rebel outfit called Uganda National Coalition for Change was behind the attacks.

The same group is accused of carrying out similar attacks in the districts of Kiboga and Mityana between November and December last year in which the assailants killed four police officers, including Corporal Alfred Oketch, Police Constable Moses Kigongo, Cpl Francis Nsubuga and Special Police Constable Paul Ddimba.

The method employed by the attackers in Mityana and Kiboga districts was similar to the one in the raid on Busiika Police Station.

In both instances, the attackers ordered nearby shop owners to close their businesses before pouncing on their victims.

In the past attacks, security agencies later arrested 15 people and charged them with terrorism in the general court martial.

They were charged with four counts of murder, two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of treason. The prosecution alleged that they committed the offences between December 7 and 16, 2011.

Prosecution also alleged that the suspects were found in unlawful possession of two hand grenades, which are a monopoly of the defence forces and contrary to Section 3(1) (2) (a) of the Firearms Act.

Security agencies later recovered the guns stolen in the raids in Mityana and Kiboga districts.

The raids targeting police officers prompted heightened surveillance and crackdown on criminal gangs in the central region.