Police in Lira City have arrested a couple suspected to be fuelling vandalism specifically targeting electric conductors commonly known as wires. Ahamad Jalla and his wife Amina Jalla are behind bars after they were allegedly found melting the electric conductors inside unfinished rentals.
Superintendent of Police – SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga police spokesperson, said Ahamad aged 59, and his wife Amina aged 50, were netted in an operation led by Lira City West Division Police Commander at Bar Ogole cell, Blue Corner zone.
Okema explained that Ahamad has been engaging in the scrap and spare parts business. The couple is said to have shifted from Mbale to Lira for business purposes. At the time of arrest, the couple was being helped by one Muhammad Okello, to melt electric conductors little did they know that police had kept spying on their activities.
“The scene was well documented by the CID team, and the suspects together with the exhibits were taken to, Lira City West division station for further management. This is not the first time we are apprehending suspects believed to be vandalizing electricity wires,” Okema said.
UMEME, police, and military have been conducting various operations targeting people vandalizing electric pylons and conductors. In some areas, unknown people cut down the wooden poles while in other places especially in the central region angel bars and conductors have been the most vandalized.
Whenever, conductors, pylons, and angel bars are collected, security invites UMEME to examine the exhibits and also make an assessment of the losses made in monetary value. Peter Kaujju, the UMEME spokesperson, has recently told the media that they have been making an average loss of 25 billion shillings annually.
Assistant Commissioner of Police -ACP Clare Nabakka, the deputy police spokesperson, said they have arrested over 60 electric vandals and they have been charged with various offenses leading to their remand in different jail centers.