SECURITY FORCES KILL SUSPECTED SPLA-IO GUNMAN AFTER SHOOTING REFUGEE WOMAN IN KOBOKO

West Nile Regional Police spokesperson SP Josephine Angucia during a media briefing.

By Dramadri Federick

Arua City

A 68-year-old South Sudanese refugee has been shot dead in Koboko District after allegedly failing to pay a UGX 10,000 land-use fee demanded by an armed man police say was linked to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO) rebel group.

The shooting occurred at about 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, at Wajju 01 Cluster in Ajipara Parish, Lobule Sub-county.

West Nile Regional Police spokesperson SP Josephine Angucia identified the deceased as Ititu Mariam, a 68-year-old South Sudanese refugee, peasant farmer, and resident of Wajju 01 Cluster.

According to preliminary police investigations, the suspect, Asio Moses, 38year old a kakwa by tribe and a Ugandan allegedly gathered tenants occupying his father’s land, most of them women, and demanded UGX 10,000 from each as payment for using the land.

Police say several tenants paid the money, but Marian pleaded that she could not afford the fee. The suspect allegedly pulled a firearm concealed in his jacket and shot her dead before fleeing the scene.

Angucia said Asio, a Kakwa and resident of Pijoke Village in Lobule Sub-county, had allegedly returned from South Sudan, where police believe he had been operating with the SPLA-IO rebel group.

“Our security teams conducted investigations and confirmed that the man who shot dead the refugee identified as Ititu Marian, a South Sudanese refugee, is one of the members of the SPLA-IO rebel group based in South Sudan. We encourage members of the public to report such suspected persons in time for appropriate action,” Angucia said.

The incident was reported to the Koboko District Police Commander, SP Michael Masereka, who coordinated a joint intelligence-led operation with the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).

Masereka said the suspect was intercepted along the Koboko–Yumbe Road in Drunyo Village, Asunga Parish, Midia Sub-county. According to police, the suspect opened fire on the security team, prompting an exchange of gunfire in which he was fatally shot.

“When they saw us, they attempted to branch off because the boda boda was already close to us. We jumped out of the vehicle, and the man carrying the gun attempted to shoot at us. Our officers were able to put him out of action. We recovered the gun and arrested the boda boda rider,” Masereka said.

Police arrested Data Bernard, 26, a South Sudanese refugee and boda boda rider from Yangani Zone 05 in Wulugo Parish, Ariwa Sub-county, Yumbe District, for allegedly transporting the suspect. He remains in police custody to assist with investigations.

The case was registered at Koboko Central Police Station under CRB 345/2026 as murder by shooting.

Crime scene officers visited and documented both the primary scene at Wajju 01 Cluster and the secondary scene along the Koboko–Yumbe Road. Postmortem examinations were conducted on both bodies at Koboko Hospital before Marian’s body was released to her relatives for burial.

Police further said preliminary investigations indicate that Asio had previously crossed into Uganda from South Sudan on several occasions and allegedly extorted money from tenants occupying his father’s land.

UPDF West Nile Sub-region Public Information Officer Wilfred Oloya said security has been strengthened in the area as investigations continue. “We are gathering more information from the ground,” Oloya said.

Investigators are retrieving exhibits, including an SMG rifle reportedly recovered with six rounds of live ammunition and the motorcycle allegedly used during the suspect’s escape. Police are also continuing to interrogate the arrested boda boda rider as investigations continue.