Police in western Uganda have detained two people in connection with the killing of a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier.
Sergeant Micheal Anguru, a native of Katakwi District attached to Bihanga Army Barracks in Ibanda North, was discovered dead on 1 September. Officials say he was attacked and killed with stones before his body was abandoned in a trench along Mpira Street, Ibanda Municipality.
“It is unfortunate that we lost the life of our gallant soldier,” said Ibanda Resident District Commissioner, Godfrey Mbetegyerize. “Circumstantial evidence shows that the assailants trailed him from a bar and stoned him to death.”
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Authorities confirmed that the soldier had spent the evening drinking, where he reportedly got into an argument shortly before the incident.
Police said sniffer dogs tracked the suspects, a man and a woman from Ibanda, after being deployed at the crime scene. “The dog guided investigators to the homes of the suspects,” Mbetegyerize said, adding that further inquiries were ongoing.
It is not yet clear if Sgt Anguru had been officially cleared to leave his barracks at the time of his death. Investigators are also seeking testimony from a close friend and fellow soldier who was allegedly with him earlier that evening.
The UPDF has condemned the attack. “This is not a good act against our soldiers and we shall not settle until the perpetrators are brought to justice,” said Tabaro Kiconco, spokesperson for the Second Infantry Division.
Kiconco urged residents to remain calm but cooperate with authorities by sharing information that could assist investigations.
The killing has sparked concern in Ibanda, which has witnessed other recent attacks on security personnel. In May, Constable Suleiman Chemonges, attached to Bisheshe Police Station, was lynched by a mob during a burial in Kyembogo Cell.
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