There was drama on Monday at Gulu Central Police Station after a suspected drug dealer accused police of interfering with his business.
Mr Albert Omona, 51, a resident of Laroo- Pageya in Bungatira Sub County, Aswa County said he is not happy with the police for arresting him and impounding his marijuana worth Shs1 Million.
Omona who was arrested during a police crackdown launched on Monday against illicit drug dealers in and around Gulu town accuses police of killing his business and yet they are government payroll.
He said the growing and selling of marijuana is a lucrative business where one can earn up to Shs200, 000 from one stem after the drug has been harvested and packed.
The drug farmer says, “I chose to grow opium because I want to get rich instead of growing other agricultural crops which lacks good market.”
Omona who admitted to police he also consumes the drug says in the first season alone when he started growing marijuana, he earned a good amount of cash from the sale.
Police says Omona has planted the marijuana on 17×20 meters of land adjacent to his maize garden.
Omona was arrested together with Mr Timothy Okumu, 29, a notorious opium smoker in the area.
Mr Martin Okoyo, the Gulu District Police Commander (DPC) said the pair was arrested after a tip off by locals after they assaulted one of the neighbors.
DPC Okoyo said, “Omona and his friend are known in their village as violent drug abusers whenever they are high on drugs. After we launched a search, we recovered 2Kgs of opium seeds, two suspected stolen sign posts and banners hidden in Omona’s house.”
Police say the suspects will be charged with growing and consuming illicit drugs.
The growing market for illicit drugs has made majority of local farmers want to seize the opportunity and make profits out of the booming market despite the law which criminalizes it.
Ms Margret Owot, the Manager Programs on Awareness, Counseling and Treatment of Alcoholism (PACTA), under Gulu arch diocese said the most affected age group are youth between ages of 14 to 35.
Since the beginning of this year, at least 34 suspects have been arrested in connection with trading in Marijuana.
3 Comments
acholi dominion/luotopia/lwodano was a independence/soveriegn relm, way before
arabs and european incursion.
kitara empire was under the soveriegnty of
lwo dano dominion even king kimera.
i believe that when lwo people start planting
tree tree any big tree, all arabs nation
will pay for tree to be cut down cause
they need water which we have in abandone
grow trees plant tree the world pay big money. no water in egypt iseali saudi arabia
ethiopia,iraq,libya,tunisia, all need river aswa fresh water
Acholi has never been part of BUGANDA therefore calling us “U-gandans” is a fallacy. The 1900 Buganda agreement was very clear about the border of Uganda. Google “Uganda Map 1910” and you will see Acholi was part of Egypt.