BODY OF SUSPECTED ROBBER SHOT DEAD IN MARACHA REMAINS UNCLAIMED

SSP Josephine Angucia, Police P.R.O West Nile Region, during media briefing in her officer in Arua City (Photo by Onzoma Albert)

By Onzoma Albert

Arua City

The body of the suspected armed robber shot dead during a foiled heist at Asili Petrol Station in Maracha Town Council has remained unclaimed at Arua regional referral hospital mortuary.

The incident occurred on Monday night when a gang of three armed individuals targeted the petrol station. Responding swiftly, police officers from Maracha Central Police Station exchanged gunfire with the robbers following an alarm raised by station staff and residents.

During the shootout, one suspect was fatally shot, and police recovered a sub-machine gun (SMG/AK-47) believed to be used in the crime. The other two suspects managed to escape and remain at large.

The deceased’s body was transported to the Arua regional referral hospital mortuary for post-mortem amid appeals from police officials for relatives or the public to claim and identify the body.

SSP Josephine Angucia, Police Public Relations Officer for the West Nile Region, confirmed the incident and urged the community to assist in investigations.

“The latest update on that incident is that the body of the deceased robber was brought to Arua Regional Referral Hospital for postmortem examinations and also for identification by the relatives so as I speak the body has not yet be identified and picked by the relatives of the deceased” she said.

Regarding the weapon used, police preliminary reports found the gun had two serial numbers, which are currently under investigation. Forensic examinations will be conducted at the police headquarters’ forensics laboratory, including ballistic fingerprinting, to gather more evidence.

Angucia, further appealed for information that may lead to the arrest of the remaining suspects, emphasizing the importance of restoring safety and reducing gun-related violence in the community.

“Our inquiries are ongoing into the matter and we encourage the public to share information freely with the police so that we are able to bring the prime suspects into the law book and arrest the allies of the prime suspects, without information from the public we may not be able to get information about the other two remaining prime suspects who escaped and those could be posing serious danger to the community in the region” she added.

Preliminary police reports further indicate that the deceased suspect hails from Katrini Sub-County, Terego District. The same weapon is linked to recent gun violence incidents in Katrini, suggesting a connection to an armed gang operating between Arua and South Sudan. Authorities believe these groups form part of a larger network involved in armed robberies, robbery-related violence, and theft across the region.

In response to rising violence, police have increased intelligence-led operations throughout the West Nile Sub-Region, aiming to curb ongoing armed crimes and stabilize security in the area.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis