Mobile Money operator shot dead in Agago robbery
The victim, identified as Morish Ocana, 39, a businessman and mobile money operator, was reportedly attacked by armed assailants at around 8:27pm in Akado West Cell, Kalongo Town Council. The attackers allegedly shot him before making off with an unspecified amount of money.
Mobile Money operator shot dead in Agago robbery
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Police in Agago District have launched investigations into the fatal shooting of a mobile money operator during an aggravated robbery attack in Kalongo Town Council on Tuesday evening.
The victim, identified as Morish Ocana, 39, a businessman and mobile money operator, was reportedly attacked by armed assailants at around 8:27pm in Akado West Cell, Kalongo Town Council. The attackers allegedly shot him before making off with an unspecified amount of money.
According to Aswa East Regional Police spokesperson Joe Oloya, the incident was reported to Kalongo Police Station shortly after it occurred, prompting a joint response by officers from Patongo Central Police Station and Kalongo Police Station.
Police said Ocana was found dead approximately 100 meters from his shop. Dressed in a white T-shirt and navy-blue trousers, his body was found lying on its right side in a pool of blood. Investigators recovered five spent bullet cartridges from the scene.
Oloya noted that the deceased’s shop was equipped with a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) camera system, which investigators believe could provide crucial evidence in identifying the attackers.
The body was later transported to Kalongo Hospital Mortuary pending a postmortem examination.
Police have since opened a case file and intensified efforts to trace and apprehend the suspects.
Authorities are appealing to members of the public with information that could aid the investigation to report to the nearest police station.
The killing adds to a growing wave of violent robberies targeting business operators and boda boda riders across the Acholi sub-region. Since March this year, at least seven people have been shot by armed robbers in separate incidents.
Notable cases include a deadly attack at a petrol station in Laliya that left two people dead, a fatal shooting in Ongako Omoro district, and the killing of a 24-year-old shop attendant in Awach, Gulu district.
Earlier, the commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces 4th Infantry Division, Maj. Gen. Felix Busizoori, announced a joint security operation aimed at curbing the attacks. However, residents and local leaders say the operations are yet to produce significant results.
Meanwhile, reports from Omoro District indicate that armed criminals recently disarmed a female police officer deployed at Lalogi Police Station and made off with her gun.
The stolen firearm is suspected to have been used in a series of attacks on residents in West Acholi.
The developments have prompted Lt Col (Rtd) Ambako Kibrai, the senior presidential advisor on mobilisation at the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) Secretariat, to direct RDCs and District Internal Security Officers to strengthen intelligence-gathering efforts.
Kibrai warned that weak intelligence systems continue to provide opportunities for criminal elements to destabilise communities and undermine public security. Investigations into Ocana’s murder and the aggravated robbery are ongoing.