The criminals six of whom have already been arrested have been waylaying and raping women. They also have robbed trailers en-route to South Sudan, burnt huts of residents and killed one person in January.
Security personnel in Amuru District are hunting down members of
youth criminal gangs terrorizing residents in the area.
For the last three months, the gang groups code-named; Mapari
Meni and Abut Squad gangs have been terrorizing
residents and causing fear.
The suspects, six of whom have already been arrested have been
waylaying and raping women.
They also have robbed trailers en-route to South Sudan, burnt huts
of residents and killed one person in January.
Francis Olanya, a businessman at Olwal Trading Centre in Lamogi
Sub-County, a victim of the group, says that they burnt down his huts before
the general elections in an attempt rob of him.
Alex Okwera, another resident revealed that the group robbed him
of his motorcycle and beat him around the Guruguru Road Junction in December at
night.
Emmanuel Bwambale, the District Police Commander confirmed the
presence of the criminal gangs who are drug addicts. The gang is a replica of
the B-13 group that first terrorized residents in neighbouring Gulu City;
Kitgum Municipality and Lamwo Districts in 2018.
Amuru Resident District Commissioner, Geoffrey Oceng Osborn, also the
Chairperson District Security Committee says the groups operate in urban
centers of Lamogi, Amuru and Guruguru sub-counties.
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Oceng says that on Wednesday six of the perpetrators have already been arrested
and 20 others whose names have been submitted to security by residents and
leaders are still at large.
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The local leaders and security officials have today called for an
emergency security meeting to chat a way forward to put an end to the
activities of the gangs.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and latr Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
