By Okidi Patrick/ NORTHERN UGANDA CORRESPONDENT.
LIRA: North Kyoga Region police PRO SP Jimmy Patrick Okema has issued a press statement on Friday regarding the recovery of a suspected stolen vehicle in Lira-City traced by the police.
Okema noted that the territorial police in Lira-City CPS together with a team of flying squad of North Kyoga region have intercepted a suspected stolen vehicle at Boroboro.
During the scuffle,three occupants from Adwali cell, Boroboro ward, Lira-City East Division on the 9th November, 2023 at around 11:00 hours were injured.
Okema said this follows a report that a vehicle Reg number KDH 790K Toyota Land Cruiser black in color suspected stolen from Kenya under Ref OB 24/9/11/2023 of Karuri police station in Nairobi was suspected to have been driven to Uganda and was heading towards Lira City.
Therefore all stations were alerted from Busia, Tororo, Mbale, Soroti and Lira as per the reading in the tracking system which was showing movement of the said vehicle.
On receipt of this information, the DPC-Lira-City CPS led a team of flying squad under SD Ref 05/09/11/2023 and mounted a check point at Adwali cell on Lira-Soroti highway.
However,when the said vehicle was stopped, the driver refused to stop but instead increased the speed, forcing police team to respond by firing some bullets at the vehicle targeting the tyres, however three of the occupants got injured in the process plus one police officer; Among the injuried were;
Otyato George 49-years-old ,a resident of Awendo in Migoli County in Kenya.
The second person injured was Akako Husein 54-years-old- from Tororo-Malaba.
Third in the injuried list was Mr. Omara Paul whose aged was not established, but he is a resident of Oyugisi Homabeyi County in Kenya.
However, a police officer identified as Ebong Tonny got injured in the stomach.
All have been rushed to Lira Regional Referral Hospital for treatment and suspects are being guarded.
SP Okema added that it’s also alleged that the suspects replaced the Reg No plate from the original to UBE 665K so as to confuse Police team while in Dokolo.
The vehicle has since then been impounded and parked at Lira-City CPS pending a search.
Meanwhile, efforts to have one who is alleged to have escaped at the time of firing bullets is underway.
Police has appealed to the community members to arrest and hand him(suspect on the run) over to the police for further management.