Africa-Press – Uganda. Security in Amuru are investigating circumstances under which a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier shot and killed the District Veterinary Officer (DVO) during a crackdown against illegal Balaalo herdsmen on Thursday night.
Amuru DVO Samuel Ocor was allegedly shot by the soldier in the abdomen at about 8pm near Lakang Trading Centre in Lakang Sub County. He was reportedly going to one of the animal holding grounds in the area where livestock confiscated from Balaalo herdsmen are kept.
“We suddenly heard the gunshot, the team was moving in a pickup vehicle belonging to the police and we discovered that the DVO was shot dead,” Raymond Orach, a resident, said.
According to him, there was no scuffle in the vehicle although the soldier who reportedly fired the gun was also injured.
Several calls to the UPDF 4th Division commander Brig Michael Kabango to establish the cause of the shooting went unanswered.
However, Amuru RDC Stephen Odong Latek confirmed the shooting stating that it was caused by recklessness.
“Preliminarily, a bullet was reportedly discharged from one of the guns in the vehicle that hit the owner. The same bullet penetrated him and hit the DVO and unfortunately, we lost him in the process,” Odong told.
“We are yet to investigate what must have exactly caused the shooting but the said soldier we are told had not locked his gun properly. He was also rushed to Amuru Health Centre IV where he is receiving medical treatment,” he said.
According to the RDC, the deceased, in the company of police and officers attached to the DISO’s office, had gone to the Lakang army detachment to get reinforcement to guard the animal holding ground situated less than 7km from the detachment.
“The numbers of confiscated animals from the Balaalo had become many and the DPC, DVO and the DISO went to an army detachment in Lakang there to seek reinforcement. They were given the soldiers, but in the course of bringing those soldiers to the holding ground, the incident occurred,” he explained.
Odong emphasized that: “We cannot disclose the details of the soldier, we have all those details but for purposes of the investigations, we shall disclose it later.
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