ARUA POLICE INTENSIFY SEARCH FOR WANTED COUNCILOR OKUSIA CHRISTINE

By Morish Dramadri – Arua city

Security authorities in Arua District have intensified the search for Ajia Sub-county District Female Councillor, Hon. Okusia Christine, who is wanted in connection with the alleged gruesome murder of two residents of Oluko in Ayivu Division, Arua City, in December 2025.

The killings reportedly stemmed from a long-standing land dispute between residents of Opileva and Ombaderuku villages in Ocoko, Ajia Sub-county, Arua District, and members of the Oluko clan in Ayivu Division, Arua City. The victims were reportedly attacked while harvesting cassava from disputed land located on the Ocoko side.

The bloody conflict prompted security authorities from both jurisdictions to intervene. On December 16, 2025, they convened an inter-district community dialogue aimed at addressing escalating tensions and finding a lasting solution to the dispute.

During the meeting, several individuals, including Hon. Okusia Christine, Hon. Anguajibi Jacob, the then Ajia Sub-county Council Chairperson, and Rtd. Rev. Can. James Ombanya, were reportedly implicated in the violence.

However, months after the dialogue, no arrests had been made in connection with the case.

Arua District Police Commander, Niwagaba Hussein, says the prime suspect, Hon. Okusia Christine, remains at large. He has appealed to members of the public to volunteer any information that could lead to her arrest.

“We attempted three times to arrest that councillor; we have failed. She is at large, and she is no longer attending even these council meetings. We have not given up. She is still on our wanted list. She is even aware. I want to assure you we shall arrest her and arraign her before the court,” DPC Hussein said.

Among the key resolutions reached during the December inter-district dialogue were the arrest of individuals implicated in the violence, the opening and clarification of boundaries between the two communities, and the organization of communal prayers to promote reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.

Arua Resident City Commissioner, Rtd. Maj. Betty Akello Otekat, has assured the affected communities that the agreed resolutions will be fully implemented to ensure justice is served and lasting peace restored.

“As the Office of the President, we are not just going to keep watching. I want to assure you that we are going to follow up on the issue of arresting the culprits who directly involved themselves in the killing of those two people. The case can never rot. I believe one day those people will be brought to book,” RCC Otekat pledged.

According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report for 2025, crime in the West Nile region declined by 10.2 per cent compared to 2024. However, land-related conflicts remain among the major drivers of violent crime, including homicide and mob action.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis