Four youths nursing wounds at Mityana Hospital after brutal Police arrests

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Four youths nursing wounds at Mityana Hospital after brutal Police arrests
Four youths nursing wounds at Mityana Hospital after brutal Police arrests

Africa-PressUganda. Four youths are nursing wounds at Mityana General Hospital, which relatives say were sustained during brutal arrest by police on January 16.

These include; Ramadan Kaweesa, Muhammad Nsereko, Ali Musisi and Matia Kibirige -all traders and casual laborers at Kitinkokola.

Nsereko was rendered unable to talk while the other victims are visibly weak.

The victims are residents of Kiyinkokola Village in Ttamu Division in Mityana Municipality.

According to Wamala Regional police spokesperson Ms Racheal Kawala, the four victims are suspected to have mobilized residents ,particularly youth to riot, following the arrest of the Mityana Municipality Member of Parliament Francis Zaake in Kampala on January 16 as he was heading to the home of National Unity Platform’s (NUP) principal and former presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine.

“They [victims] tried to resist arrest as they were mobilizing fellow youth to riot and this is why we arrested them,” Ms Kawala said on Tuesday.

She said victims will be charged with inciting violence upon recovery.

During the arrest, relatives claim, the victims were severely beaten and later detained in police custody despite being very weak.

Relatives say- they had since January 16 been pleading with police to release the victims them for medication but all in vain until at the weekend.

Ms Carol Nantale, one of victims’ relatives found at the hospital accused Police of using excessive force during arrests yet the suspects were not violent.

“They knocked on our door once and then kicked and broke into the house. After arresting Kibirige, they embarked on beating him while also threatening to take me,” She said.

Ms Ruth Nanyanzi, another relative said the victims were treated like hardcore criminals and at some point they thought they had died.

“The way they [police] handled them was not human at all. They are just lucky that they are still alive,” She said.

Ms Kawala said they are yet to investigate the individual officers who arrested the victims.

“During arrest, we normally use reasonable force and in this particular case if our officers used excessive force, we will charge them because nobody is above the law,” She said.

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