Family members of Uganda people’s Congress (UPC) party Deputy National secretary for mobilization, Dan Oola Odiya has demanded that he be produced in court.
The family says until now, police has not recorded a statement from Oola Odiya.
His sister, Finny Odiya told this reporter from Gulu central Police station today that they want Odiya produced in court.
Odiya was arrested on Wednesday evening near Amigos bar in Gulu municipality at around 8am by armed plain clothed armed men.
Security sources who declined to be named said Odiya’s arrest is linked to the attack on the army detach at Opit in Lakwana Sub County on the morning of Friday, May 27 at around 3 am. The army is said to have lost eight guns in the attack.
The source further said security tracked communication made from Opit at 4:00am after the attack to Odiya. In the communication, the source said, the caller told Odiya on the phone that they had ‘‘finished the job’’ and the caller wondered whether they should bring the ‘‘cassava’’ to him [Odiya].
Security officials in their decoding of the conversation suspect the cassava referred to in the conversation was a reference to guns. Security now reportedly want Odiya to explain what the communication meant.
Since the attack on Opit military army detach, no suspects have yet been arrested. The 4th Division army spokesman Lt Hassan Kato said recently in an interview with Acholi Times that the army was appealing to the public to come up with information that can lead to the arrest of the suspects who carried out the attack.
Security is understood to be under pressure to get some suspects responsible for the Opit attack.
Odiya’s lawyers, Abore, Adonga & Ogen Company advocates said by 8:00 pm today(Friday) the 48 hours under which Odiya can be constitutionally detained by police will have elapsed.
The Aswa Regional Police Commander, Wilson Kwanya, when contacted said a statement will be recorded from Odiya before end of today (Friday). At the time of filing this story, the statement had not yet been recorded.
Kwanya declined to confirm reports linking Odiya’s arrest to the attack on Opit army detach only saying that is related to ‘‘national security.’’
Meanwhile, UPC outgoing president, Dr Olara Otunu and Odiya’s family members were Friday morning allowed to visit him at Gulu Central Police.
Olara told Acholi Times he found Oola Dan in good condition and that he had not been not tortured but the outgoing UPC party president said Odiya needs to be given a fair hearing in court.
