Police in Kikuube district have shot dead a cattle thief who had been on their wanted list for a long time. Andrew Ouma, 34, a resident of Ibambiro village, Katanga parish in Bugambe sub-county, was reportedly killed on Sunday morning around 11 am.
According to Hakiza Allan Julius the Police spokesperson for Albertine region, they received intelligence that Ouma, who had been accused of cattle theft, was hiding in a house belonging to an accomplice, Banaba, in the neighboring village of Kaziniro.
Police, led by Alex Otim, the officer in charge of Bugambe police station, raided Banaba's home and arrested him. They then located Ouma hiding inside. Ouma allegedly attacked the police officers with a panga as they tried to arrest him.
Despite warnings to drop the weapon, Ouma charged at the officers, who fired several bullets in the air to scare him. However, he continued to advance towards them, and they eventually shot him in the chest, killing him instantly. During the scuffle, his accomplice, who had been arrested and handcuffed, escaped.
Hakiza explained that Ouma and many others who are still at large have been terrorizing area residents, especially cattle farmers, by stealing their animals. He stated that Ouma had been on the police's wanted list for many years.
Residents in Bugambe sub-county have urged the police to intensify patrols to ensure that the remaining suspects are apprehended or eliminated from the area.
Amlan Tumusiime, the Kikuube Resident District Commissioner, stated that they have already petitioned the Inspector General of Police to deploy the Anti-Stock Theft Unit officers in the area to help fight the crime.
The shooting of the suspect comes at a time when police in Hoima have four suspects, including a retired lieutenant from the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF), in custody on charges of cattle theft.
The suspects are Wycliffe Kyamanywa, 38, the retired UPDF Lieutenant and a resident of Nankulabye village in Kitoba sub-county in Hoima; Hamdan Ayesiga, 26, a resident of Buseruka sub-county; Bosco Byabasaija, 39, a resident of Bukerenge village in Kitoba sub-county; and Aramazani Mugisa, 64, also from Bukerenge village in Kitiba sub-county.
They were arrested on Friday night during an operation conducted by the police under the leadership of the Hoima District Police Commander, Jackson Bogere, in response to numerous public complaints about rampant cattle theft in the district.
