Police Plans To Stop Mob Justice

This campaign will involve educating communities in this region about the perils of mob justice, and warning against it as a law-breaking vice. 

According to an Aswa River region police report, six out of 10 cases of the death in the area, in the last two weeks, are as a result of mob justice. 

Two other deaths were said to have resulted from suicide, another was caused by drowning and another happened because of assault and battery. 

The Aswa River Region police spokesperson or assistant superintendent of police (ASP), David Ongom Mudong said those who are accused of any crime must not be summarily punished by mobs when the courts will ensure justice. 

“All is being done in the various districts by police to curb these crimes. Our target is that lives and properties are safe during this festive period and crimes are reduced,” ASP Mudong said. 

According to a police report concerning mob justice, 6 six cases where mobs took the law into their violent hands were linked to theft and 2 others were due to assault. 

Makua Ssalongo, formerly a resident in the Patongo Town Council in Agago District, on December 13 hacked a laborer to death in his home and thereupon a vicious mob descended on him and beat him to death. 

Several other mob justice incidences were reported in the area, significant of which was the case were three people were lynched by an angry mob at Lakwana Trading Center in Lakwana sub-county in Omoro district. 

The three men are Michael Obita, Rashid Oringa and Peter Onen who were reportedly caught red handed stealing two bulls and loading them on a pick-up truck. 

They were descended upon by a mob when they failed to explain where they got the bulls from and what they were doing loading them on a truck. 

Aswa River Region is an area covering 27,677 square kilometres over 15 districts in northeastern Uganda.