Pressure group ‘Concerned Citizens’ on Monday morning stormed the police headquarters demanding a clarification from deputy Inspector General of Police Okoth Ochola over the statement he made stating ‘the red line has been drawn’.
Ochola said during John Michael Ariong’s requiem mass at Christ the King Church on Friday that the police officer’s death had strengthened to force to deal harshly with what he called lawlessness in the country.
Assistant Inspector of Police Ariong succumbed to death after he was hit on the head during a riot that broke out on Wednesday last week in down town Kampala. This was after the police arrested FDC leader Dr Kizza Besigye and the city Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago among other politicians.
According to the activists, the statements made by the senior officer, insinuate a declaration of war by police onto civilians to avenge the death of one of their own.
Barbara Allimandi, a Concerned Citizens’ official says Ochola’s statement is yielding results as evidenced by the massive arrests of the citizens by the police over the weekend in connection with the murder of the police officer.
Allimandi notes that this has caused fear among the populace and yet the police is supposed to protect Ugandans.
When they reached Ochola’s office, the activists were informed that he was locked up in a meeting somewhere.
The activists who were determined that Ochola gets their complaint, left it behind for him. The complaint was left in the Confidential Registry of the Force with Officer Stephen Ochan receiving and signing it on behalf of Ochola.
In the complaint, the pressure group asks police to do an independent investigation into Ariong’s death and want Ochola to clarify his statement in light of the current crisis.
Shortly after handing over the complaint, the activists exchanged words with the police, accusing the officers attacking civilians.
Earlier, the activists while on their way to police headquarters ambushed the Presidential Press Secretary Tamale Mirundi to give his views about the massive arrests by the police.
The ambush led also to verbal exchange with Mirundi threatening to slap some of them for ambushing him.
