Christmas fowl play: Teacher's chicken escapade ends in arrest

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In a desperate bid likely to fund his Christmas celebrations, a teacher in Kumi district turned to an unlikely target—a nun’s chicken coop. Under the cover of darkness on Christmas Day, he made off with three fowls belonging to nuns. However, fate had other plans.

By Christmas morning, the teacher, Erasmus Otim, 40, found himself in Police custody alongside a colleague after allegedly being caught red-handed with four suspected stolen chickens. The pair was apprehended thanks to the sharp eyes of a local security guard, Godfrey Okeju, who sounded the alarm.

Security guard and a resident of Bazaar cell in Kumi municipality, Godfrey Okeju, 25, reported the case to the Police on Christmas Day.

Police in a Christmas Day statement identified the suspect as Erasmus Otim,40, a primary school teacher, also a resident of Bazaar cell.

While Otim was taken into custody, his yet to be identified accomplice wasn’t as lucky—an angry mob caught up with him, leaving him critically injured and hospitalised at Kumi Hospital.

It's alleged that on the morning of Christmas Day at about 02:00 am Okeju was at his workplace at Bethany Conventional Centre within Kumi municipality when he saw two men in possession of four chickens.

Police Regional Commander Damalie Nachuha confirmed the arrests and condemned both the theft and the mob violence. “The suspects could not account for the chickens in their possession. While theft is unacceptable, we also strongly condemn mob action,” Nachuha said.