A prisons officer attached to Patongo Government Prison in Agago district has been arrested for allegedly hiring out her gun to assailants.
Betty Lamunu, 46, was arrested on October 8th while aboard a bus heading to Abim district. Lamunu was arrested together with two other suspects identified as Denish Kilama and Moses Okullu Apwunya.
On July 5th 2010, the prisons officer reported to police that her gun had been grabbed by unknown thugs while she was on duty.
Police mounted a search to find the weapon and until Saturday last week, they believed Lamunu’s story. But while on her way to Abim district on October 8th, Lamunu was netted in Latinga village in Pader district with the gun in her luggage.
Johnson Kilama, the Northern Regional Police spokesperson told reporters on Tuesday that Lamunu was found with 11 rounds of ammunition.
Kilama said after a search, the AK47 gun believed to have been grabbed by unknown thugs a year a go, was recovered in a rolling bag hidden in the boot of the bus.
Kilama added that Lamunu was traveling with her cousin identified as Denish Kilama and the arrest of the duo led police investigations to the third suspect, Moses Okullu Apwunya, who is said to have been hiring the gun from the officer.
Kilama says the two men have confessed to police that the same gun was used to kill Lakwaya Ocan, a security guard working with Patongo Secondary School, who was shot dead earlier this year.
Police reports show that Lamunu’s family had for long been fighting over a piece of land with the deceased. Police suspects that the motive of killing was revenge since Lakwaya Ocan had won a court case over the same of land.
Police sources say Kilama and Apwunya will jointly be charged with illegal possession of fire arms and murder.
Meanwhile Lamunu will be charged with misuse of firearms.
They are all being detained at Gulu central police station as they wait to be produced in court.
