One person was shot dead in Labala Parish Pabbo Sub County Amuru district. The deceased has been identified as Denis Opiyo Abiro a resident of Layibi-Bardege division in Gulu City.
Opiyo was shot by a security team comprising of police, Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and the army on Friday afternoon at around 3: 00p.m along the Adjumani-Pabbo road.
Opiyo, a driver of a Canter vehicle registration number UAU 932G, was carrying over ten businesspeople from a weekly market in Apaa Township bordering Amuru and Adjumani heading back to Gulu City.
Evelyn Ogaba an eyewitness said from Lacor Hospital that security stopped them at a roadblock and asked passengers o offload several charcoal bags that were in a vehicle they were travelling in.
Ogaba said that Opiyo was shot in the stomach at a close range by an officer immediately after he got out of the vehicle. She added that the officers immediately took off from the scene after the shooting and the other passengers scampered for safety.
Ogaba sustained a dislocation on her right leg as she fled the shooting scene.
Charles Okot, the Labala Parish LC2 Chairperson said on Friday evening that what led to the shooting is still unclear but suspects that the deceased had a scuffle with the security personnel who had stopped him for a check.
Michael Lakony the Amuru district chairperson who rushed to the scene after the incident condemned the killing and excessive use of force.
Hanji Bashir the Uganda Wildlife Authority(UWA) Spokesperson says that the matter is still under investigation as it is unclear whether it was UWA, police or army personnel that took part in the shooting.
Aswa River Region Police Spokesperson confirmed the incidence but did not divulge more details noting that the area is not in his region but West Nile.
UWA has been at the centre of a long running conflict over the land in Apaa that was initially claimed by both Amuru and Adjumani but has now been officially demarcated to belong to Adjumani district, a decision protested by many in Amuru. The fallout from the conflict is still a cause of tension in Amuru and Adjumani, especially in Apaa in Pabbo sub county.
