Brig Gen David Mugisha the second in command of the 3rd infantry division apologized for the incident and the miscommunication from their public relations officer and also condemned the act of the errant officers who participated in the murder. Mugisha disclosed that the five soldiers who were involved in this act have been arrested to face court-martial on murder charges.
Leaders in Moroto district want the errant UPDF
officers who participated in the killing of an 80 years old father during a
cordon and search operations be punished or else face eviction of Loputuk army
detach in Loputuk sub county.
On Monday, the UPDF soldiers who were on a
cordon and search operations shot dead Aturangole Lomeri, a blind elder,
and claimed he had stabbed a UPDF soldier identified as Zubail Nangai with a spear
during an operation to arrest a suspected armed rustler. The UPDF 3rd
division spokesperson issued a report that the shooting was in self-defense after
the deceased attacked the officers.
But, the community and their leaders have
disputed the reports, demanding answers and that the errant officers be brought
to book, if not their detach will be removed from the land that was offered to the
forces by the deceased.
Ceaser Akol, the Moroto district speaker said
they demand the errant officers who participated in the killing of elder
Aturangole be heavily punished for causing such a huge loss to the family and
Karamoja as a region.
Akol said the deceased has been so resourceful in
culture, security and the local knowledge on how things should be done in
Karamoja, and it has been their pleasure to protect such elders in the
community.
He said due to the reckless statement made by the
UPDF 3rd division spokesperson tagging the deceased as a raider, the
community is proposing to have the Loputuk army detach removed from the land
that was offered to the forces by the late.
Akol said the community is bitter and bitter and
the only option is to see the unruly officers being brought to book and justice
prevail for the family of the deceased.
‘’The detach sits in the land belonging to the
deceased and if the community decides to claim back their land it is their
right, so let the responsible authorities take action against the wrong element
in the forces or else they will face eviction because it’s useless to contain
murderers in the community,’’ Akol said.
//cue in ‘’our interest is to ensure that the...//
//cue out ‘’ to arrest wrong element in the
society.’’//
Angello Pulkol, the son of the deceased and
district councilor representing Loputuk sub county said it is shocking for
someone who has been a peace lover and even offered his own land to the forces
for the establishment of an army unit to be killed for no clear reasons.
Pulkol wondered why the army killed such an old
man who couldn’t even walk and branded him as a cattle rustler who resisted arrest.
‘’Shame on UPDF, an 80-year old man who has even
lost his sight, you killed and accused him of injuring a trained UPDF officer?’’
Pulkol asked.
Pulkol noted that the army has been carrying out
cold blooded killing of innocent people and nothing is done to the perpetrators.
//cue in ‘’we have had series of killings’...//
//cue out ‘’on social media before reaching the
scene.’’//
Meanwhile, Stella Atyang, the woman MP Moroto
district said the security officers have been messing up with the operations in
the region by violating people’s rights and many of the errant officers go
unpunished for their dubious actions.
Atyang condemned the rampant acts of impunity by
the army officers, urging the UPDF top command to take punitive measures to
hold the offenders accountable.
Atyang also noted that it is very awkward for the
security personnel to arrest everyone in the family for a crime committed by an
individual and yet the law stipulates clearly that everyone is responsible for
his or her own crime.
//cue in ‘’cases of human right violation have....//
//cue out ‘’death of Mzee Aturangole
accountable.''//
However, Brig Gen David Mugisha the second in
command of the 3rd infantry division apologized for the incident and
the miscommunication from their public relations officer and also condemned the act of the errant officers who participated in the murder.
Mugisha disclosed that the five soldiers
who were involved in this act has been arrested to face the court-martial on murder charges.
Elder Aturangole Lomeri lived with 24 wives and
28 children and his body was laid to rest at his ancestral home in
Loputuk village in Loputuk sub county on Saturday’s evening.
