Residents living in Ngoro and Zoka central, Itirikwa Sub County have spoken out on the Easter Sunday Attacks which left 14 houses burnt and some 20 people homeless. On the aftermath of the attacks, the Paramount Chief of Madi, His Highness Stephen Drani and, Major Counsel Travers Kibuuka, the commanding officer of the 71st battalion brigade is being persecuted.
Denis Ojok, a resident of Goro B village, where the arson attack happened said that the actual attacks of burning houses happened at around midnight. He said that by the time the army arrived at the scene of crime, at around 5 am on Monday 11th April morning, the locals had descended on some youths including men and women having been caught in the act, while others carried petrol, lighters, machetes, among others.
According to Ojok, Drani and Kibuuka arrived at the scene of crime to ascertain the extent of damage, and addressed them as locals, asking them not to retaliate saying the suspects, whom the locals handed over to security had already been handed over to Police for further investigation.
Ojok notes that it is difficult to understand how, the army being manned by Major Kibuuku, who when called upon intervene swiftly to handle situations is being accused of torture.
Beatrice Atim, a resident of Zoka, said that by the time the army and Paramount Chief Drani arrived in Apaa, the suspects had been already at Zoka Police post, with others injured, apparently after being beaten up by angry residents form the Acholi community whose houses were burnt.
Atim said that the suspects, and other community members from the Madi community have always caused unrest with their major aim of after evicting people, either renting out the land, but majorly dealing in commercial charcoal burning.
Stephen Opio, a resident of the same area blames Police for unfairness and biasness while discharging their duties accusing the Officer in Charge of Zoka Police Post, Francis Yosam and other police officers coercing the suspects arrested in the latest arson attack to say they were beaten by the army in order for them to receive compensation from the government, an allegation Yosam denies.
He said that the biggest issue fueling the attacks in Apaa in general is the deep involvement of the district leaders including Ben Anyama the district LCV Chairperson Adjumani, Peter Taban, the Resident District Commissioner, Benon Byamukama, the District Police Commander among others in commercial charcoal dealing, and logging, adding that the local leaders are engaged in hiring out land, mostly belonging to the Acholi community.
He observes that the reasons why Drani and Major Kibuuka are being accused of torture and attempted murder is that the leaders know that with the two locked up, they will continue with their charcoal burning without any interruptions.
When contacted, Taban and Anyama all distanced themselves from any involvement in charcoal dealing saying they are meant to tarnish their names. Our efforts to get comments from Byamukama were futile as his known telephone number went unanswered.
