At least 15 students who were among the over 50 suspected criminal gang members arrested over the weekend in Kitgum Municipality have been released from police custody.
IP Benedict Igama, the Kitgum District Police Commander (DPC, disclosed this yesterday following the joint security operation conducted by the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF.
According to Igama, the students were released after a thorough screening exercise conducted by police at Kitgum Central Police Station.
He says 40 other suspects are still being held in police cells.
Igama notes that the remaining suspects will be arraigned in court because their files have already been submitted to the Resident State Attorney for further legal advice.
He says they are being charged with various offences including possession of opium and robbery among others.
According to Igama, some of the arrested students are in Primary Seven class and their age ranges from 13 to 17 years.
He says the parents of these pupils were ordered to produce clear and authentic documents indicating that they are learners before they were released.
Stephen Labalpiny Oketa, the Kitgum Assistant Resident District Commissioner – ARDC, urges parents to always check the kind of friends their children associate with.
By Opoka Denis
Leave a Reply