(Lira) – A businessman in Lira City has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a high school student, after evading a police summons by going into hiding.
(Lira) – Police have arrested Denis Obong, a businessman and former bus driver, who is suspected of firing the shot that killed a Senior Three student from Faith Secondary School in Lira. The student, 20 year old Sisto Odongo from Alito, Kole District, was fatally shot on Sunday, October 20, 2024, while returning to school after attending a dance at Uganda Technical College Lira.
According to reports, security personnel apprehended Obong at around 2:00 p.m. at a location in Boroboro, on the outskirts of Lira. He had reportedly gone into hiding after receiving a police summons to report to the station on Monday, October 21. Instead, Obong allegedly left his home in Ireda Central Park Cell in Lira’s east division and hid at Corner Boroboro, where security operatives located him, ordered him to surrender his pistol, and then transported him to the Lira Central Police Station (CPS). As of press time, he remained in custody at the CPS.
The case is being investigated under file number CRB 651/2024, and Obong’s arrest followed an intelligence tip-off that led police to his hiding place.
Sources report that on the morning of the shooting, Odongo and several other students had scaled the wall at Faith Secondary School to attend a dance event welcoming new students at a nearby technical college. Around 4:00 a.m., as the group walked back to school, they encountered a group of youth near the Uhuru Bar on the Lira-Soroti Road. During the encounter, Odongo was fatally shot by an unknown assailant, now believed to be Obong.
Faith Secondary School director James Ocen expressed deep regret over the tragic incident. Addressing Odongo’s family, he described the event as “very unfortunate” and questioned what might have provoked the gunman to shoot the student.
In a related development, the clan of the deceased student has raised concerns about the handling of the case. The clan leader, Awitong Okii Bura, petitioned the Regional Police Commander (RPC) on October 23, 2024, calling for their intervention, citing alleged mismanagement of the case at Lira CPS. In the letter, copied to various officials, including the Resident City Commissioner and the regional army commander, clan spokesperson Joseph Ekol stressed the family’s commitment to pursuing justice, urging the school to cooperate fully with authorities and the bereaved family.
| Key Details of the Incident | Information |
|---|---|
| Date of Incident | October 20, 2024 |
| Suspect | Denis Obong |
| Victim | Sisto Odongo, 20 |
| Location of Arrest | Boroboro, Lira |
| Case File Reference | CRB 651/2024 |
| Petition Date | October 23, 2024 |
