Photo courtesy of recovered guns in Karamoja
There was shock at Panyangara Anti-Stock Theft Unit -ASTU in Kotido district when a police officer shot and killed a female colleague for waking him up to fight cattle rustlers commonly known as warriors.
Police sources have identified the killer suspect as Police Constable Moses Ocen while the deceased was known as Corporal Betty Akao. Akao’s death was notified to ASTU detach commander SP Kimera commander by AIP Geoffrey Oyor.
It has since been established that Akao was assigned by SP Kimera to ensure all police personnel were on standby since intelligence indicated that warriors were going to attack in the night.
“Information gathered reveals that prior to the incident, the commanders had received intelligence about the threats of warriors planning to attack the detach, and at around 9 pm, the Zonal Commander Kotido went with the other personnel to the detach to support and to brief the personnel about the threats from the warriors, thereafter, it’s alleged that the Zonal Commander instructed all the personnel to go to their defences,” sources said.
Sources added: “It’s also alleged that the Zonal Commander also instructed the deceased to ensure that all men are in their defences. Information gathered indicate that the deceased indeed took the command and she began moving around the barracks informing the personnel to get out and when she reached the house of the suspect, the suspect asked her what she wanted from his house and later shot at her.”
PC Ocen later handed himself to Kotido Central Police Station where he is currently detained. This was after he threw the killer gun near his hat’s veranda. So far, police have entered a case of murder against PC Ocen under the file Vide CRB 112/2023.
Homicide detectives examined the scene and collected the killer gun SMG No. 566500721-56070 with 22 bullets. Police also recovered seven bullet cartridges and statements have since been recorded to witnesses.
“Information gathered reveals that the deceased went to the suspect’s house twice to inform him to get out and it seemed the suspect never wanted and the decision he made was to shoot her,” sources added. Cpl Akao’s murder was at a close shooting range estimated to be 3 meters according to the scene of crime officers. Karamoja sub-region has had two years of intense fighting between the government forces and warriors. More than 700 warriors have been killed while more than 21,000 have been arrested. So far, 700 guns have been recovered from warriors while an unspecified number of soldiers, police officers, and civilians have also been killed in the last two years