NUP’S ISAAC AYIKOBUA RELEASED AFTER SIX MONTHS IN GULU PRISON, CLAIMS POLITICAL PERSECUTION

The embattled former Ayivu East NUP candidate Isaac Ayikobua (in red berret) stressing the memories while at Gulu main prison. Photo by Morish Dramadri

By Morish Dramadri

Arua city

Former National Unity Platform (NUP) parliamentary candidate for Ayivu East Constituency, Isaac Ayikobua, has been released from Gulu Main Prison after spending several months in detention following his arrest on November 16, 2025.

Ayikobua was arrested at the office of the Arua Resident City Commissioner shortly after attending a joint security meeting convened to prepare for a campaign rally of NUP presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.

Authorities accused him of failing to comply with a court order directing him to pay Shs30 million in compensation to a client. He was subsequently arraigned before the High Court in Gulu, where he was said to have committed the said crime.

Speaking to journalists in Arua city on Tuesday, after his release on May 20, 2026, Ayikobua described his arrest and detention as politically motivated. He claimed that no official documentation was provided to account for either his detention or release.

“I was arrested like one of the biggest criminals in this country. I was treated like a terrorist. But in the end, they became ashamed. We are not going to give up,” Ayikobua said.

He further revealed that he lost a child during his incarceration, describing the emotional toll of the experience as deeply traumatic.

“I lost my child just a week after my arrest. The trauma I have gone through will stay with me for a very long time. Even after my release, there is no official evidence that I was ever in prison. Court officials refused to provide documents showing my arrest, and prison authorities denied having records of my detention. I was simply released and told to go,” he added.

NUP leaders in Ayivu East welcomed his release, while maintaining that his detention was politically driven.

Isaac Ayikobua and other NUP party members posing for a photo moment after the press conference in Arua city. Photo by Morish Dramadri.

Philliam Alioni, the NUP chairperson for Ayivu East, recounted what he described as a painful period for the party and Ayikobua’s family.

“He was taken away and subjected to suffering for reasons that remain unclear to us. During that period, he even lost a son while in detention. All we wanted was to see him return home,” Alioni said.

Ayivu East NUP Registrar Dan Aleni also dismissed the allegations that led to Ayikobua’s arrest, insisting that the case was politically motivated.

“We only received information that someone was looking for him. When we followed up in Gulu, we could not easily establish his whereabouts. But today we thank God that he is finally free. We want the people of Ayivu East to know that we remain committed and focused on the future,” Aleni said.

West Nile Regional NUP Administrator Abdulhanan Ramadhan Dida described Ayikobua’s detention as a difficult moment for the party and pledged continued political mobilization ahead of the next electoral cycle.

“It has been a painful experience for all of us. For months, we did not know exactly what was happening to our colleague. But we are grateful that he has returned. We remain determined and will continue engaging the people as we prepare for the future,” Dida said.

Ayikobua’s release brings to an end months of uncertainty surrounding his detention, although questions remain over the circumstances of his arrest, incarceration and eventual release.