Africa-Press – Uganda. Shock and grief engulfed residents of Nebbi Town on Tuesday morning after they stumbled on a body of a man dumped near Afere Church of Uganda on the outskirts of Nebbi Town.
Police later identified the body as that of Erick Omaki, 35, a boda boda rider and resident of Yao-Okecha Cell in Abindu Division, Nebbi Municipality.
Omaki, a father of four was killed by suspected robbers who police say took his bike.
The Nebbi District Police Commander, Mr Aminsi Kayondo, said the thugs slit the his throat with a sharp object before fleeing with his motorcycle.
“The body has been taken to Nebbi hospital mortuary for a post-mortem. Thereafter, it will be released to the relatives for burial,” Mr Kayondo said.
Mr Gody Oryek, a brother of the deceased, described him as a soft spoken man. He said Omaki started riding boda boda in 2008, a business that had helped him sustain his family of four.
“We have lost a very hard working man. It is sad that we lost him in such a barbaric manner. We hope the police apprehends the culprits,” Mr Oryek said.
He added: “My brother wanted to see his children educated more than himself. That is why he kept on with this boda boda business. He had even bought land for commercial farming such that he increases his income. We don’t know how we shall continue paying for these children in school.”
Some of the deceased’s colleagues told this publication that on the fateful day, Omaki reported to work and transported several passengers. They were, however, shocked to learn the next morning that he had been killed the previous night.
The chairperson of Afere cell, Ms Margaret Onyon, said she heard a scuffle on the fateful night but she could not ascertain what was going on.
“I rang the police but it was too late to save the deceased,” she said.
Police suspect the deceased was killed by thugs masquerading as passengers, who hired him from Parombo Boda Boda Stage on Nebbi-Pakwach Road.
The vice chairperson of Parombo Boda Boda Stage, Mr Frank Oyat, said they have lost many of their colleagues in similar incidents where the victims are killed and their motorcycles taken by the killers.
“Within a space of two years, we have lost more than eight of our colleagues in a similar manner. We blame security agencies for not doing enough to bring the culprits to book. That’s why there is rampant killing of boda boda riders in the town,” he said.
He said the deceased was nick-named ‘senior rider’ because he rarely got involved in accidents.
The Nebbi Municipality mayor, Mr Geoffrey Ngiriker, condemned the killing, and identified some of the black spots as Aryendira, Town Church Road and Afere.
He noted that with the ongoing road construction projects in Nebbi, the town has been flooded with very many people from outside the district seeking job opportunities. He urged security agencies to work around the clock and ensure security of the residents.
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