Africa-Press – Uganda. Police in Pader District are holding one of their own over shooting at a crowd of people while enforcing Covid-19 guidelines, an operation which his superiors termed ‘illegal’.
The suspect is currently being held at at Pader Central Police.
Mr David Ongom Mudong, the Aswa River Region Police spokesperson, told Daily Monitor that the suspect, SPC Malimu Patrick, was arrested following a Saturday shooting incident at Amoko Village, Lagwai parish, Pajule Sub County, Pader District.
According to Ongom, Malimu had teamed up with a one Richard Oyet, a former police officer (a deserter) and conducted an illegal operation at the village.
“We are holding one of our own, Malimu Patrick, in custody after we received information that he on July 17, 2021, between 2:30 to 3:00 pm, shot at people and injured a 50-year-old in the process,” Mr Ongom said.
“They illegally deployed themselves in the name of enforcing Covid-19 guidelines without the knowledge of their superiors. A charge of attempted murder by shooting has already been preferred against Malimu at Pajule under SD REF: 12/17/2021,” he said.
Whereas Malimu is currently being detained, his accomplice (Oyet) is nursing severe injuries at Pajule Health Centre IV, which he sustained when a mob charged at them after Malimu injured Sisto Odong, 53, a resident in Amoko Village.
According to Mr Tito Brilliant Okello, the Pajule LC3 chairperson, the suspect took off with the gun leaving his unarmed colleague at the mercy of the mob that beat him into coma. He was eventually saved by police officers who arrived at the scene shortly after hearing the gunshots.
The scuffle, according to Okello, ensued when the duo entered a salon in the village and arrested one person who was reportedly not wearing on a face mask. While some pleaded with them to pardon their colleague, other locals reportedly started insulting the duo, a move that provoked Malimu to shoot at the crowd.
It is the second time the pair were reportedly carrying out an illegal operation without the knowledge of their commanders.
“We have standing orders regarding deployments, and we are investigating the officer further. We condemn the illegal deployment and subsequent shooting that is why we are taking the matter seriously,” Ongom said.
