Police in West Nile have arrested two suspects for attempting to bribe a police officer with over Ugx 2 million to drop a murder case against them, and one other for murder.
The two suspected criminals have been identified as Annet Adjikiya, aged 28 years, and Brian Nyakuta, a 22-year-old boda boda rider, both residents of Nyio village in Arua district.
According to the Uganda Police Spokesperson, SCP Fred Enanga, the two suspects had fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after the brutal murder of Alidu Arijule in December 2023.
Enanga, however, said that when they heard that the former OC CID of Arua Central Police Station, ASP Moses Maloba, who was actively searching for them, had been transferred, they came out of their hiding and went back to their village in Nyio, mobilized around Ugx 2 million, and attempted to bribe the new OC CID, ASP Jaffa Kalinaki.
‘’ASP Kalinaki did not accept the bribe when it was offered, but he instead put in extra effort and arrested Onzima, the mastermind behind the murder of Arijule, because he is the one who mobilized the mob and carried out a mob mentality of killing, burning properties, and dumping the victim’s body in a pit latrine,’’ SCP Enanga said.
While addressing the media at the police headquarters in Naguru on April 15, 2024, Enanga revealed that on December 17, 2023, Innocent Onzima mobilized members from the Klam clan who attacked Arijule, murdered him in cold blood, cut his body into smaller parts, dumped them in a pit latrine, and later burned down his house.
The preliminary information provided by the police indicates that the two suspects are now being held accountable for bribery, while Onzima is on murder charges, as is Arson.
SCP Enanga reminded members of the public that bribing a police officer to destroy a case is punishable by law and must be avoided. Instead, if you want to help a suspect or an accused person, you can seek the services of a defense lawyer, who can help you fight the case in court.
He applauded OC CID Detective ASP Kalinaki for taking his stand against bribery and respecting his badge because, as police officers, the badge comes with enormous responsibility along with the trust it confers. The police will continue to rely on officers who do their work with honesty and integrity.
