Key Arua jailbreak suspect caught

May 31, 2006

YEREGO Kelil, the fugitive said to have masterminded the Arua Central Prison breakout on February 25, has been rearrested, ending an intensive three-month manhunt.

By Steven Candia

YEREGO Kelil, the fugitive said to have masterminded the Arua Central Prison breakout on February 25, has been rearrested, ending an intensive three-month manhunt.

About 408 inmates, most of them hard core criminals remanded on capital offenses, are said to have fled the prisons in the 4:45pm February 25 break out.

The fugitive, who both police and prisons authorities described as the “most wanted man” was arrested on Lake Victoria’s Bukanga Island in Wakiso district on Tuesday afternoon.

Dr. Johnson Byabashaija the Commissioner of Prisons, was ecstatic about the capture of the man, who he said had “injured his pride.”

Speaking moments after the Police Director of Operations, Francis Rwego, at a press conference at the police headquarters in Kibuli to announce the capture of the fugitive, Byabashaija let his joy be known. The function was also held to hand over the fugitive to prisons authorities.

“I am very happy. Yerego Kelil has been my most wanted fugitive, because this man commanded the whole Arua Prison — the prisoners and my staff — and ran away from justice.

“As you know, I am a very proud man; proud of my job and my capability to keep all the people you entrust me with, so my pride was injured by this man,” he said.

He said Yerego is the 173th fugitive out of the 408 escapees to be rearrested, adding that the hunt was on for two other prominent escapees, Alex Aziku and Caesar Amasi.

From the function Yerego was driven to Luzira maximum-security prison, pending being charged with escaping from lawful custody in addition to a raft of earlier charges. He will also serve as a convict the days he has been at large.

Using Yerego’s example, Byabashaija warned that it was easier to face justice than to run away from it, which, he said, only causes more trouble.

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