Armed robbers on Tuesday night raided a wholesale shop in Omiya Anyima sub-county, Kitgum district, and made off with more than Shs 10 million in cash, prompting a security operation to track down the suspects.
The robbery occurred at about 8 pm in Omiya Anyima Central village, Panyum parish, according to district authorities. Geoffrey Oguti, assistant resident district commissioner (RDC) for Kitgum, who was among the officials that visited the scene, said four suspects were involved in the attack.
He said the gang broke into the shop and escaped with the cash before security agencies could respond. Following reports of the robbery, a joint team of personnel from the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) was deployed to the area to pursue the suspects and prevent further criminal activity.
Oguti said preliminary investigations, including a review of Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage, indicated that the attackers were armed and appeared to have executed the robbery in a coordinated manner. According to Oguti, one of the suspects was armed with an AK-47 rifle while another carried a panga.
“The footage shows four individuals involved in the robbery. One was carrying an AK-47, and another had a panga. They managed to steal over Shs 10 million before fleeing,” Oguti said.
He appealed to residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by sharing information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects.
“We urge the community to be alert and report any suspicious individuals or activities to the police. Public cooperation is critical in helping security agencies track down the criminals,” he said.
The robbery comes amid growing concern over incidents of armed crime in parts of northern Uganda, prompting security agencies to intensify surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations.
Joe Oloya, police spokesperson for the Aswa East River region, said details of the incident were still being compiled and that a comprehensive report would be released upon completion of investigations.