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The Police in collaboration with local leaders have apprehended a suspected member of a notorious criminal gang accused of terrorising residents and looting goods from trucks on the Lira-Kamdini highway. 

The Oyam Resident District Commissioner (RDC), William Komakech, said the suspected ring leader was picked up in an intelligence-led operation conducted jointly by security personnel led by the LCIII chairperson of Loro Town Council, Robert Ekwaro. 

He said the operation followed numerous reports of night attacks on residents and looting of goods from trucks on the highway. 

Komakech noted that the Police are committed to carrying out a comprehensive investigation in each of these cases to ensure peace prevails. 

He identified the suspect in custody as Emmanuel Omiya and noted that two other suspects, Solomon Obong and Morris Okullu, are at large. 

The suspect, detained at Oyam Central Police Station, will be arraigned before courts of law on different charges including aggravated robbery. 

“These operations will continue so that we can continue dismantling organized criminal gang groups,” Komakech said. 

Robert Ekwaro, the chairman LCIII of Loro Town Council, said they found the suspect with numerous pieces of merchandise like cement and lime among others. 

The gang mostly attacks long-distance trucks carrying merchandise across the country, motorcycle riders, pedestrians, and house breaks at night. The criminals move in large numbers, climb on trucks, and start throwing merchandise down while others collect and take to their hideouts.

When the gang comes across a pedestrian, they turn a person upside down and shake all possessions out of the pocket, gather, and flee. 

Moving after sunset in most of the districts in the Lango region has become very treacherous as organised groups of youth are on the loose, waylaying and robbing people.

In Lira City, street children have borne the brunt of the blame, but an investigation by this paper indicates that the youth engaged in criminal activities come from all walks of life. The gang has been given the name owuwuk, literally meaning ‘those who shake’. 

In the suburbs of Lira City and parts of the Lira district, the gang calls themselves ‘pipino (wasps) boys’. 

Another gang is known to target boda boda cyclists and rob their bikes, using young ladies who lure cyclists into traps.