Residents of Gulu town have began getting out on the streets as they usually do, but this morning unlike any other in the past decade, the question on their minds is: what happened last night?
At around 9 am, last night, as most people headed home, and as others milled around restaurant and bar television sets to watch the evening news on their favourite stations, heavy shooting of light weapons broke out.
Shootings are not entirely unusual in Gulu but they are getting rarer. It could be robbers? It could be an unprofessional private security guard. It could be a soldier gone bonkers, many speculated except this time around the shooting was unusual in its length. It went on for between 40-50 minutes.
When normalcy returned, sporadic gunfire could still be heard in the outskirts of the town suggesting that the army could have been possibly pursuing the attackers.
” A joint force of the police and military this evening repulsed a group of unknown gunmen who tried to attack Gulu Central police, in Gulu district, in what is believed to be a rescue operation for Oola Dan Odiya the UPC( Uganda Peoples Congress Secretary for Mobilisation,” said a statement released by the police last evening shortly after the attacks.
”This followed credible intelligence of about their plans and enabled the military to reinforce the police,” said the statement signed by police spokesman Fed Enanga.
Oola Dan Odiya was arrested around 8 pm on Wednesday by plain- clothed security personnel as he headed home. He is expected to appear in court this morning to be charged in relation to a recent attack at a military facility at Opit in Gulu district. One soldier was killed in the attack and eight guns reportedly looted.
Morning After Gunfire
Reports say two police officers were injured in the shootout. They are reportedly receiving medical treatment at St Mary’s Hospital Lacor. Unconfirmed sources say one soldier was killed but this could not be independently verified.
Gulu Central police is located opposite the Gulu Regional Refferal Hospital and the Gulu Post office. To get to Gulu Central Police you have to use the Gulu main street( the Gulu- Kampala road) or the Airfield road which leads to the 4th Division army barracks or use the Gulu-Kitgum road. Alternatively, one would come from the direction of the Senior Quarters which also leads to Gulu University. To make any unusual movements towards Gulu Central Police, one would need to pass through populated areas and government offices unnoticed.
Streets Cordoned Off
Streets cordoned off this Monday morning by a combination of soldiers and policemen is Airfield road which leads to and is from the nearby army barracks. Also cordoned off is Gulu Avenue( on the main street) from Centenary Bank to the Gulu court premises. The 4th Division army spokesman Lt Hassan Kato is expected to address journalists in Gulu this morning.
Who Is Oola Dan Odiya
Oola Dan Odiya’s arrest in connection with the attacks on the military detach in Opit took many by surprise. Before that all he was known for was being a vocal member and supporter of the Opposition Uganda Peoples Congress. He is known to be close to outgoing Uganda Peoples Congress party President Dr Olara Otunnu. In fact on Friday last week, Otunnu visited him at the Gulu Central Police and called for him to be produced in court.
As a student at Makerere university in early 2000, he was Chairman of the Acholi Makerere Students Association. He did not contest for any political office in the recent parliamentary and local government elections but he was involved in canvassing for support for former Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi as part of the TDA
