A police officer from Lira Central Police Station escaped with injuries when the police intercepted a Toyota Land Cruiser registration number KDH 790K, suspected to have been stolen from Kenya.
Tony Ebong sustained a gunshot wound in the stomach as the security forces opened fire on the vehicle carrying the suspects.
Three individuals, including George Otyato from Awendo in Migori County, Kenya, Hussein Akako from Tororo-Malaba, and Paul Omara from Oyugisi Homa Bay County, Kenya, were also injured.
All the injured individuals are admitted to Lira Regional Referral Hospital.
A team of regular police and Flying Squad operatives had set up a checkpoint at Adwali cell, Boroboro ward, in Lira City East Division after receiving information about a suspected stolen vehicle from Kenya.
This case was recorded under Reference Number OB 24/9/11/2023 at Karuri Police Station, indicating that the vehicle was being driven into Uganda via the Busia border.
Reports suggest that the suspects changed the number plates to UBE 665K while in Dokolo district, in an attempt to confuse the authorities.
Patrick Jimmy Okema, the North Kyoga Police Spokesperson, confirmed that the vehicle’s movements were tracked using a monitoring system. Consequently, police from Tororo, Mbale, Soroti, and Lira were on high alert. However, he did not provide details about how the officer got injured.
Okema mentioned that the vehicle has been impounded and is currently parked at Lira Central Police Station pending a search. Efforts to locate one suspect who is alleged to have escaped are also underway.