Mob beats Arua cop to near-death over thug arrest

By Andrew Amvesi

Barely a week after a police officer was stoned to death in Kampala, another in Arua is in a life-threatening state at Arua regional referral hospital after mob attacked him.

 Alex Aliosa, 35, a police officer attached to Ayivuni police post in Arua district was seriously injured by an angry mob while executing an arrest of a suspected thug.

 Aliosa, who is currently admitted in Arua regional referral hospital in critical condition, sustained deep cuts on his head and legs after the mob trounced him in resistance of the arrest. 

 According to Josephine Angucia, the North Western police spokesperson, the incident occurred Sunday evening at around 5.30pm near Ayivuni sub-county headquarters in Arua district.

 She said this follows theft of four motorcycles from Old Kampala under Old Kampala SD Reference 02/25/03/2012.

 Angucia said one of the motorcycles was recovered from Gulu and intelligence sources revealed that one of the accessories to the theft was in Ayivuni sub-county in the same district.

 “Corporal Tom Omong from Gulu Central police station came with the file to arrest the suspect,” said Angucia.

“We gave him seven police officers including Aliosa to go and execute their duty but as they came close, the alleged associate made an alarm which attracted the mob.”

The mob, armed with pangas [machetes], bows and arrows, ordered police not to arrest the suspect.

As the other police officers tactfully withdrew from the scene, the mob descended on Aliosa, disarmed him and beat him to unconsciousness. He sustained several cuts.

Angucia said Aliosa's SMG Rifle containing 30 rounds of ammunitions in the magazine was stolen.

 After more police personnel were deployed at the scene, they recovered the gun but without its magazine, she said.

 No suspect has been arrested in connection to the incident. It is believed the prime suspect took  advantage of the mob action to escape.

 Anyone who participated in the mob action will be arrested and brought before the law, Angucia warned.

She raised security concerns over the loss of the magazine.

 “We fear that failure to recover the ammunition may cause insecurity in the area as they may be used to kill or rob people.”

 A medical report indicated that Aliosa sustained multiple cuts.