Residents of Ojwina Division in Lira Municipality are protesting against a proposal to remove a police post from the area.
The decision to remove the nine-month old Ojwina Police post located at Kichope village follows reports of the alleged secret sale of the three acre piece of land to private developers.
The land in question was reportedly sold in 2006 by the district land board to private developers mainly the then political leaders in Lira district.
On Thursday, Lira district Police Commander Robert Ssematta said that the police’s stay on the land is illegal adding that they shall soon withdraw from the area.
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Ssematta told URN that they cannot continue staying on the land which is not legally owned by the institution, noting that the police post would be relocated to Ireda Shamber in Central Division about 5km from the current location.
But Emmanuel Ebong Opeto, Ojwina Division LC3 chairperson, maintained that nobody shall remove the police post from the current location saying the area is the worst hit by crime and insecurity. He says the area is known for harboring wrong elements.
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Ebong says the land in question belongs to the local community and that they had earlier on agreed to offer it for the police, construction of a public school and a hospital. He wondered how it could have been sold without their notice.
Willy Omodo Omodo, a resident of Barogole village in Ojwina Division, said public land could not have been sold without their knowledge.
Alex Oremo Alot, Lira district LC5 chairperson, said the previous sale was revoked and that the said land still belongs to the district land board.
