IMVEPI REFUGEE SETTLEMENT RIOT SUSPECTS FURTHER REMANDED UNTIL OCTOBER 26

Courtesy photo of the properties damaged during the deadly riots at Imvepi Refugee Settlement in Terego District on August 25, 2026.

By Onzoma Albert

Arua City

The Arua Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded 38 suspects in connection with deadly riots and arson at the Imvepi Refugee Settlement.

The incident, which involved the burning of government offices, police facilities, and property within the settlement, stemmed from disputes over the leadership elections of the Refugee Welfare Council (RWC).

Of the suspects, 34 are adults detained at Arua Government prison, while four juveniles aged 15-17 are placed in a remand home. The initial 33 suspects appeared in court on August 27, 2026, and were remanded until September 21 as investigations continued. An additional five suspects were later apprehended, bringing the total to 38.

Others involved remain at large. The court, led by Chief Magistrate Conrad Obol Oroya, scheduled a further hearing on October 26, 2026, to consider bail applications. Suspects’ lawyers were instructed to prepare sureties and all necessary documentation for the bail process.

The suspects face seven counts related to the incident, including arson, malicious damage to property, aiding the escape of three detainees, and unlawful destruction of property.

Specific acts include burning administrative blocks, smashing windows, torching motorcycles belonging to the Office of the Prime Minister and Uganda Police Force, setting fire to office equipment, and unlawfully endangering police and refugee property within the settlement.

Among those arraigned before the court are individuals of diverse nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, primarily Kakwa, Lugbara, and refugees from South Sudan, Uganda, and other regions.

Notable suspects include Ojosile Gidio, aged 56, a Lugbara; Onzima Lawrence, 51, from Yinga Village; Amos Moses, 51, a Kakwa refugee; Nusaba Batali, 48, a South Sudanese refugee. Others include Poro Santino, 43; Josephat John, 38; James Badil, 38; Mathew Wani, 37; Richard Mawa, 35; Samson Khemis, 34; Aloro Twaha, 33; Moses Sala John, 31; Bidal Robert Jackson, 30; and several others ranging in age from 18 to 29, many of whom are refugees and students.

The court proceedings are ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for October 26, 2026, when bail applications will be addressed.

The arrests and subsequent court hearings are seen as a step toward addressing the violence that erupted over leadership disputes within the refugee community.

The outcome of these proceedings will influence both the judicial process and community stability in Terego District.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis