The North Kyoga Region police PRO, SP Jimmy Patrick Okema, issued a press statement on Friday regarding the recovery of a suspected stolen vehicle in Lira City, traced by the police.
Okema noted that the territorial police in Lira City CPS, together with a team from the flying squad of the North Kyoga region, intercepted a suspected stolen vehicle at Boroboro. During the scuffle, three occupants from Adwali cell, Boroboro ward, Lira City East Division, on November 9, 2023, at around 11:00 hours, were injured.
Okema said this follows a report that a vehicle with registration number KDH 790K, a black Toyota Land Cruiser, suspected to be stolen from Kenya under Ref OB 24/9/11/2023 of Karuri police station in Nairobi, was believed to have been driven to Uganda and was heading towards Lira City.
Therefore, all stations were alerted from Busia, Tororo, Mbale, Soroti, and Lira, as per the reading in the tracking system, which showed the movement of the said vehicle.
Upon receipt of this information, the DPC-Lira City CPS led a team of the flying squad under SD Ref 05/09/11/2023 and mounted a checkpoint at Adwali cell on Lira-Soroti highway. However, when the said vehicle was stopped, the driver refused to stop but instead increased the speed, forcing the police team to respond by firing some bullets at the vehicle, targeting the tires. However, three of the occupants got injured in the process, along with one police officer. Among the injured were:
- Otyato George, 49 years old, a resident of Awendo in Migoli County in Kenya.
- Akako Husein, 54 years old, from Tororo-Malaba.
- Mr. Omara Paul, whose age was not established, but he is a resident of Oyugisi Homabeyi County in Kenya.
However, a police officer identified as Ebong Tonny got injured in the stomach. All have been rushed to Lira Regional Referral Hospital for treatment, and the suspects are being guarded.
SP Okema added that it’s also alleged that the suspects replaced the Reg No plate from the original to UBE 665K to confuse the police team while in Dokolo. The vehicle has since been impounded and parked at Lira City CPS pending a search.
Meanwhile, efforts to apprehend the one who is alleged to have escaped at the time of firing bullets are underway. Police have appealed to community members to arrest and hand him (the suspect on the run) over to the police for further management.
