FOUR ARRESTED OVER THEFT OF EUCALYPTUS TREES IN ARUA CITY

The arrested suspects. All photos by Onzoma Albert

By Onzoma Albert
Arua city

Police in Ayivu East Division have arrested four men for stealing eucalyptus trees in Obopi east cell, Ewadri Ward, Ayivu East.

The four apprehended suspects includes Herbert Afidra, Godfrey Edema, David Jurua and Felix Abizu who have allegedly been cutting and stealing eucalyptus trees belonging to Emmanuel Ewaku Alio the director of investments, operations and wealth creation, office of the president.

According to Emmanuel Ewaku Alio, the complainant, the four suspects have been cutting and stealing eucalyptus trees from his plantation since April this year telling the neighboring community members that he is the one who sent them to cut the trees.

“By yesterday morning 196 trees were cut in my plantation others were as big as the size of the big drum. Interestingly the prime suspect sent another group to cut more trees so in the process the community members rose up and wanted to lynch them but police responded timely and arrested the three suspects” he said.

Some of the eucalyptus trees cut by the suspects.  
 
According to SP Collins Asea, the Police Public Relations Officer for North Western and West Nile region, the suspects are currently detained at Ayivu East Division Police Station as investigations continue.

Bosco Bayo, the LC 1 Chairman of the area and caretaker of the trees condemns the act and says the suspects have been taking advantage of his busy schedules to sneak into plantation to cut and steal the trees.

“When these trees were cut I was busy doing preparations for my campaigns so when I came to check these trees this I found out that close to two hundred trees have cut down which forced to me to inform the owner of the trees and report the matter to the police leading to the arrest of the suspects” he said.

Size of the trees cut by the suspects.

Topista Ayikoru, one of the community member neighboring the plantation emphasized the importance of the destroyed eucalyptus plantation to them as the nearby community members. “I personally felt bad because these trees have been assisting us with shade during funerals and other gatherings in our community here” she said.

The Arua City Natural Resources Department and Forestry sector visited scene and has done assessments and evaluation of the trees that were stolen by the suspects and has valued them at 27,000,000/= Ugandan Shillings.