Incident Details
| Location | Koboko District, Saliamusala, No Man’s Land (Uganda-DRC Border) |
|---|---|
| Time of Incident | Approximately 11:15 am |
| Involved Parties | Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Team, Suspected Smugglers |
| Deceased | Jackson Geriga, 24, Menya Village, Ponura Parish, Koboko District |
| Incident Overview | URA team attempts arrest of suspected smugglers, leading to fatal shooting |
| Official Response | Confirmed by Koboko Resident District Commissioner, Emmy Mitala |
| Postmortem and Burial | Body retrieval and postmortem scheduled before handing over to the family for burial |
Koboko, West Nile – A tragic incident unfolded when an operative from the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) shot and killed a suspected smuggler. The confrontation occurred at approximately 11:15 am in Saliamusala, situated in the no man’s land along the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Resident District Commissioner for Koboko, Emmy Mitala, confirmed the unfortunate event.
Mitala explained that the URA team, stationed to curb smuggling activities, encountered the suspected smugglers during an ambush operation. The team, having parked their vehicle by the roadside, attempted to apprehend the smugglers and seize their cargo. However, the situation escalated when the smugglers resisted arrest and initiated an attack against the URA team.
As the suspects advanced aggressively, the URA operative resorted to firing three warning shots into the air in an attempt to deter them. Despite these warnings, the smugglers persisted in their approach, forcing the operative to use lethal force to protect themselves. The deceased was identified as 24-year-old Jackson Geriga from Menya village, Ponura parish, Lobule sub-county in Koboko district.
Emmy Mitala expressed regret over the incident, emphasizing the current high prevalence of smuggling in the region. The body of Jackson Geriga was retrieved, and plans were made for a postmortem examination scheduled for Saturday before the remains would be handed over to the family for burial.