Capt Santos Okot Lapolo, the Gulu Resident District Commissioner (RDC) on Thursday morning rushed to Kanyagoga ‘A’ subward in Bar-Dege Division, Gulu Municipality and halted an eviction exercise following a court order.
Capt Lapolo was called in after the Zed Courts Bailiff and Auctioneer, Kampala based bailiffs began effecting the court order.
By the time Lapolo reached the area, seven grass thatched huts, a latrine and temporary shelter had been demolished.
The court bailiffs were working under police protection under the command of John Bosco Nyankol, the Officer-in- Charge of Operations at Gulu Central Police Station.
Lapolo told an angry crowd at the scene of the demolition that his office had not been informed on the action of the bailiffs and ordered the bailiffs to leave the area.
The RDC does not have powers to stop a court order.
Grace Lakuma claims ownership of the piece of land in question which she says she in 1991 from Gulu Municipal Council before she fled to Kampala because of the insurgency in northern Uganda then. When she came back, Lakuma says, she found her land had been occupied.
The matter went to court and in 2009, Lakuma states Joseph Omodo-Nyanga, the former the Gulu Chief Magistrate ruled in her favour.
But Karla Adiyo, 98, claims the land belongs to her later husband.
Rose Lucaci, the Woman Councilor for Kanyagoga Parish condemned the act of forceful eviction describing it as inhumane.
Lacaci said that even with a court order, the affected families should have been notified and given time to resettle in another place instead of destroying their households during eviction.
1 Comment
What has gone wrong with Acholi people? the morale justice is no more, respect for our elders and the vulnerable doesn’t exit, Acholi, I feel so ashamed as an Acholi lady, my heart bleeds for my mother land. The land issues which has purposely been enforced on our people to rule and divide is bring something else among Acholi people. There is no unity, no unity, no unity Acholi please there is too much suffering already. This elderly lady is 98 for God’s sake please where are morales justices and respect. I’m just lost for word.