Police in Kole District have detained a couple following the tragic death of their one-day-old baby boy.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the infant was strangled by his mother, Ms. Winnie Acen, 26, who later disposed of the body in a pit latrine at a nearby nursery school. This horrifying act allegedly stemmed from a dispute between Acen and the baby’s father, Mr. Ronald Onge, 33, over the child’s paternity.
The incident came to light when Mr. Okao Alele, 50, the director of Alpha Nursery and Primary School, reported the matter to Akalo Police. Authorities promptly arrested the couple, registered a case of murder, and initiated further investigations.
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SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson, confirmed that the incident occurred on February 19, 2025. “This is truly heartbreaking. A simple misunderstanding between the parents cost an innocent child his life,” Okema stated during a press briefing on Monday, February 24.
According to Okema, police officers visited the crime scene, documented witness statements, and recovered the baby’s body, which was transported to Lira Regional Referral Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
“They have violated Article 22 of the Constitution of Uganda, which guarantees the right to life. We are confident that justice will be served through the courts,” Okema emphasized.
In a separate incident, a suspected goat thief, Mr. Moses Ayo, 38, was lynched by a mob in Te-opok village, Okoma Parish, Ngai Sub-county, Oyam District. The mob accused Ayo of stealing a goat from Mr. Allan Obong’s home on February 22, 2025.
Okema explained that the mob traced the stolen goat to Mr. Abel Olobo’s residence, where Olobo admitted to the theft, implicating Ayo. The mob captured Ayo, subjected him to a severe beating, and he later succumbed to his injuries.
“Unfortunately, no arrests have been made yet, but we have leads on some of the perpetrators involved,” Okema confirmed. He urged the community to work with the police instead of resorting to mob justice.
The 2024 police crime report revealed that the North Kyoga region recorded 71 cases of murder by mob action, with victims primarily being suspects of theft, robbery, murder, witchcraft, and burglary. Nationwide, 1,016 cases of mob-related murders were reported in 2024, marking a 2.2% decrease from 2023.
The Albertine region had the highest number of cases at 73, followed closely by the North Kyoga region with 71. The report emphasized that theft, robbery, murder, witchcraft, and burglary suspects remain the most common targets of mob violence.
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