The Police in Gulu District have arrested 12 suspects in connection to the break-in and theft of property at Angaya Health Center III in Unyama Sub-county. The suspects comprising the facility’s night watchman Francis Okello Okot and 11 other casual laborers assigned to renovate the health facility were picked up by the police on Monday afternoon.
This came after unknown people broke into the Maternity ward in the wee hours of Monday morning and made away with two solar batteries and keys for the maternity mini facility and dispensary room. According to Police reports, the facility night watchman Francis Okello Okot reported for his duty on Monday evening at about 6:45 P.m. and found all doors locked with security lights on.
Police reported that at about 3:30 Am, Okot realized that the lights at the facility had suddenly gone off which prompted him to investigate. However, when Okot reportedly conducted his patrol, he found the doors to the maternity ward open and realized two solar batteries were also missing. Aswa West Police Spokesperson David Ongom Mudong notes that detectives led by the crime officer (Soco) on Tuesday morning visited the facility for documentation and statement taking.
Mudong says investigations have already commenced adding that once completed, the suspect’s files will be arraigned before the Resident State Attorney for legal guidance. He notes that once the files are sanctioned, the suspects will be arraigned before the court for prosecution. The Deputy Resident District Commissioner Gulu Cosmas Okidi told Uganda Radio Network in an interview Tuesday that they have already got a clue on another suspect whose National Identity Card was found in the facility.
Okidi said the suspect whom he declined to name in order not to jeopardize the investigation dropped the ID in the maternity ward which was broken. He notes that the suspect has already been identified as a boda boda rider operating between Gulu district and Gulu city. This isn’t the first time health centers in the region have been broken into by unknown thugs. In the neighboring Nwoya district, unknown thugs broke into two health centers and drug stores in July this year and made off with medical supplies and drugs worth millions of Shillings. The health facilities are Langol Health Centre II in Paminyai sub-county and Lulyango Health Centre II in the Lungulu sub-county.
