Children who were playing about in a cassava garden have found a gun the police say was stolen from an attack on Opit army detach in Gulu a month ago.
The children came across the AK 47 assault rifle on Friday last week, hidden in a garden only about 3 kms away from the Gulu Central Police. Police retrieved the gun.
Police say they are investigating the motive of hiding the gun in an upscale area where mainly the well to do and offices of international organisations like the United Nations are located.
Martin Okoyo, the Gulu District Police Commander (DPC), confirmed on Sunday that the gun was recovered by children. Okoyo says upon examining, the gun turned out to be one of those that was looted when Opit army detach was attacked by unknown armed people at around 3 am on 27 May.
The attackers are said to have made off with eight guns. When the Gulu Central Police was attacked, security said it recovered seven of the guns looted from Opit army detach, which it said, the attackers abandoned.
So far security officials say a total of twelve (12) suspects have been arrested in relation to the attacks on Gulu police and Opit army detach about 20kms East of Gulu town.
The suspects are being questioned by police and intelligence on their alleged role in the attack of the two security installations which left three security personnel and a 5- year old dead.
Capt Santo Okot Lapolo, the Gulu Resident District Commissioner (RDC) recently released the names of the arrested suspects and said security has expanded their hunt for more suspects in South Sudan.
Lapolo named the suspects as: Kenneth Otto, Sam Obama Ojok, Eng Openyjuru Howard and Richard Okech.
Others are Ocan Abdul Malik Mwoka alias Ojuku, Geoffrey Komakech alias KK, Alfred Odongpiny, Lukwiya Macknokonic, Felix Oluge, Job Odong and David Opiro.
Dan Oola Odiya, the deputy National Secretary for Mobilization Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) is among the 12 suspects.
Odiya who faces five charges including two counts of murder, attempted murder and concealment of information among others in connection with his alleged participation on Opit army detach. He is expected to reappear in court on June 29, before Gulu Grade Magistrate for the mention of his case.
