MOROTO- UGANDA/NEWSDAY: At least 130 inmates who escaped from Moroto prison in September 2020 are still missing. 223 inmates overpowered prison warders at the Singila based prison, broke into the armory and made off with 15 guns.
During a joint security hunt for the escapees at the time, 81 were recaptured and 12 shot dead.
The search for the other escapees yielded fewer results after the inmates reportedly mixed up with the community.
But Frank Baine, the Uganda Prisons Services Spokesperson says that security personnel will at any time recapture all the remaining escapees since the hunt has never been called off.
Records from the Criminal Investigations Directorate-CID and Uganda Prisons indicate that Moroto government prison had 684 inmates. Of these, 107 were waiting to appear in Court Martial for engaging in armed robberies, gun violence and several of them were army deserters.
“The current update about Moroto is that we have recovered 81 prisoners and four guns. And the search continues. It may take longer but they will not keep hiding,” Baine said.
The CID team that was led by then General Crimes Acting Commissioner Francis Olugu, blamed five prison officers for negligence and possible connivance with escapees since procedures of detaining high profile suspects had been flouted.
Olugu recommended for prosecution either at the disciplinary level or criminal court. The accused prison officers included Moroto prison commander Norman Aruho, head of reception Fred Mugisha, Joseph Anguadia, Warder Atunu and Geoffrey Owori.
Aruho was accused based on the fact that the escape process started a fortnight earlier when he appointed a new prisoner, Loguti Mariko, whose details indicated he was a hardcore murder suspect as head of prisoners.
But Baine says that they took the necessary action against the accused officers.
“Our administration functions are not public. So those who were concerned were handled according to Prisons Act. But we are still searching for these people. Fortunately, we are jointly doing this,” Baine said.
Since the escape of 224 prisoners with guns, Karamoja sub-region has experienced enormous incidents of gun violence that have left dozens of people killed and cattle stolen.
UPDF, Field Force Unit –FFU have also shot and killed close to 20-gun wielding men since October last year.
By URN
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