Grief engulfed residents of Opok A’ village in Koch Goma Sub-county in Nwoya district on Saturday after a jilted man identified as Denis Okema, 30, torched his wife’s hut, burning five children to death.
Okema’s wife, Beatrice Akello, 24, said to have been the main target of his arson escaped with minor injuries and is admitted at St Mary’s Hospital Lacor in Gulu district.
Two of the couple’s biological children and three relatives were killed.
Police identified the deceased as Wellborn Onen 6 and a 4 year-old girl only identified as Aber. The other dead children included Lily Ajok 17, Sarah Acayo 15, and Boniface Rubangakene 6.
Eye witnesses said Mr Okema poured petrol on the grass thatched hut where his wife and the children were sleeping at about 4 am after the New Year’s celebration.
Acholi Times understands that the suspect followed his wife to her parent’s home after she left him after a domestic dispute they had on December 30.
Aswa Regional Police Commander, Wilson Kwanya said the suspect in the murder has been apprehended and is detained at Nwoya Central Police Station.
Kwanya said police will charge Okema with aggravated murder.
“We advise locals who have domestic issues to approach the local leaders, churches or police to avoid cases that ends in death,’’ said the Aswa police commander.
The LCIII Chairperson Koch Goma sub county, John Bosco Okullu, said the suspect in the murder had in the past attempted to commit suicide three times.
Okullu further said that Okema comes family has a history of committing suicides. He appealed for help from spiritual leaders to help address cases of suicides.
“We are currently having challenges with high cases of death in the area, we call upon spiritual leaders to intervene and help reduce on the soaring cases of death [by suicide]” said Mr Okullu.
According to Okullu, since January last year, a total of 38 deaths have been recorded in his Koch Lii and Koch Kalang, in his sub-county as a result of suicide and arson.
In September last year, Samuel Ochora, 32, a resident of Laroo Division in Gulu Municipality, drenched himself and his wife Annet Auma, 28, with petrol before setting himself and his wife ablaze. They both died from their burns at St Mary’s Hospital Lacor.
