The army had denied reports that plans are underway to execute suspects who were arrested in connection with the ‘‘iron bar attacks’’ on unsuspecting victims in Gulu.
A trademark of the unidentified attackers is hitting their victims in the night on the head with a blunt object.
Unconfirmed reports yesterday circulated in Gulu that the suspects were to be executed by firing squad at Kaunda Grounds, a ceremonial ground only about only 300 meters away from the Gulu Central Business District (CBD).
On Tuesday evening Gulu town residents gathered at around 5 pm at Kaunda Grounds eagerly waiting for the execution that was never –to- be. As dusk set in the crowd withered away.
When contacted on phone on Wednesday, Maj Caesar Olweny Otim, the 4th Division Army Public Relations Officer (PRO) dismissed the execution rumours as baseless.
“I think the last time we had firing squad was in 2002 in Kotido where two soldiers were shot after having killed a priest. People should not be killed in that way. We don’t do that!’’ Major Olweny said. He instead vowed that the army will arrest anyone who takes another’s life.
Rumour of the purported execution began swirling on Sunday morning and ended up on social media platforms like Facebook where residents expressed concern over the failure of the security forces to contain the iron bar hit men on rampage in Gulu.
In March 2002, UPDF executed two of its own officers by firing squad for killing Father Declan O’Toole, a Catholic priest and his driver and his cook.
Corporal James Omedio and Private Abdallah Muhammad were tied to trees and shot near Kotido town, 350km from Kampala, after being found guilty of murdering O’Toole.
On his part the Aswa region police spokesman Jimmy Patrick Okema said the rumour that the police planned an execution was shocking.
‘‘Article 22 of the constitution talks about protection of rights to life. No person shall be deprived of life intentionally except in the execution of a sentence passed in a fair trial by a court of competent jurisdiction in respect of a criminal offence under the laws of Uganda,’’ Okema said.
At least two people have been killed in the last one month by a group of suspected iron bar hit men in Gulu town leaving residents in panic.
The victims, all male were attacked by men who are suspected to be part of a gang behind the wave of attacks against residents.
Several suspects in the attacks have been arrested.
Rumour of an execution by firing squad of the suspected iron bar hit men may be an expression of desperation by Gulu town residents, unimpressed with the manner in which the security services have so far handled the increased thuggery in especially Gulu Municipality in the night.
