Africa-Press – Uganda. Nine students of Lira Town College in Lira City are under custody at Lira Central Police Station on charges of theft of watermelons.
The suspects and 21 others still at large- allegedly committed the offence during wee hours on Wednesday.
It is reported that the students early Wednesday looted the watermelons from various stalls along the roadsides before they smashed the fruits -for consumption- on tarmacked roads.
“Thirty students, mainly those in lower secondary classes, escaped from school purportedly to watch the ongoing Post-Primary Football tournament at the nearby Lira Army Primary School playground,” school authorities told Monitor on Wednesday.
Ms Sophie Rose Acen, the head teacher of Lira Town College, said police have been deployed at the school to hunt for the remaining 21 students who are still on the run.
“About 30 students left the school around 5am that they without the school permission. We did the roll call at around 8am and we have identified the students who went out,” she disclosed.
“As I talk now, nine of them have been arrested by the police,” Acen confirmed.
The head teacher noted that the implicated students or their parents will be forced to compensate the watermelon owners.
Dr Jaspher Abura, Lira City principal education officer, regretted the incident.
“How can they escape from school and start destroying people’s watermelons which were displayed on the roadsides for sale? That is criminality and escaping from school is indiscipline,” he observed.
He also said they have written to all secondary schools in the city informing them that no student shall be allowed to watch the ongoing Post-Primary Football tournament with the exception of the players and games masters.
North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP) Patrick Jimmy Okema said: “We are still doing more findings to understand their motives.”
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