Prominent Apac businessman shot dead at home gate

People gathered at Denis Angole's home at Ocok-can cell where he was shot and killed on March 11, 2023. PHOTO/ SANTO OJOK

Police in Apac District in northern Uganda are hunting for gunmen who reportedly trailed one of the prominent businessmen in the area and shot him dead at his home in the wee hours of Saturday morning. 
Denis Angole, 45, was shot several times at his gate at Ocok-can Cell, Dam ward in Akere Division at around 12:20am on Saturday, police have said.

According to witnesses, the assailants who were riding on a motorcycle trailed Angole, the managing director of Deno and Sons Enterprises, as he returned from work and shot him several times when he got out of the vehicle.
 “Those armed robbers were on a motorcycle. They came slowly following him. When he came out of the vehicle to call someone to open for him, they shot him and picked the bag he was carrying before fleeing the scene,” One of the neighbors told police and this reporter.
Mr Boniface Denis Okwir, the LC1 chairman of Ocok-can Cell, said the shooting has left residents in his area in panic. 

 Apac District police commander, Mr David Wills Ndaula, said detectives are still looking for clues which will help in identifying the assailants.
 “We are trying as much as possible to get the clues which will lead to the arrest of the culprits,” he said. 
 After supplying whole sale merchandise using his vehicle, Angole reportedly returned to his shop in the evening, according to police, before loading more items to be supplied the following morning.
“Eyewitnesses said he even balanced his books of account up to around 23:30hours. He left the shop driving his tipper vehicle up to his gate and that's when he was reportedly confronted by unknown armed robbers,” the North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, Mr Patrick Jimmy Okema, said in a Saturday statement. 

 Three cartridges and one live ammunition were recovered at the scene of the shooting.
“Search conducted and scene documented and cordoned off for further analysis,” the police spokesperson added.
 Angole’s body was conveyed to Apac Main hospital for postmortem.
 Mr Okema said the motive behind the attack is still not yet clear. 
“We appeal for support from members of the public as we join hands together to hunt for the assassins. Also, we appeal to businessmen to be very vigilant with personal security,” he said.