Eighteen suspects were arrested during an operation at Oliga Open Market in Patongo Town Council, while another 24 were picked up in separate operations across the district, bringing the total number of arrests to 42. Those arrested include suspected phone and bag snatchers, marijuana users, youths allegedly involved in late-night gambling, and individuals accused of excessive alcohol consumption during working hours.
Agago District Police Commander SP Omar Kokole said the operations were launched in response to a rise in robberies, particularly attacks targeting traders during Patongo’s weekly market days. He said criminals have been exploiting the busy Tuesday and Friday markets, where traders often carry large sums of money and merchandise, to rob members of the public and break into shops and homes.
According to Kokole, the crackdown began last week following the killing of a mobile money operator in Kalongo Town Council, as well as an increase in suicide cases and gender-based violence linked to alcohol abuse. He said the joint operations are expected to continue for the next two months. Kokole said all those arrested would be screened, and suspects found to have committed criminal offences would be charged and taken to court.
He cautioned young people against idleness, saying gambling and excessive alcohol consumption were fuelling crime in the district. “We do not encourage idleness. Playing cards for leisure is acceptable but staying up beyond midnight gambling is not. We urge our people to engage in productive work. We have enough land for cultivation, and people should invest their energy in activities that improve their livelihoods instead of colliding with security agencies,” Kokole said.
The police commander also expressed concern over the increasing number of suicide cases, attributing them to domestic disputes, poverty and alcohol abuse. “We are registering many cases of domestic violence and suicide. We shall continue sensitising communities about the dangers of taking their own lives because it deprives families and children of support,” he said.
Kokole further urged members of the public not to abandon criminal cases if they encounter uncooperative police officers, but instead to follow the police chain of command. “If you report a case and it is frustrated at the station, demand to speak to the DPC. If you are not satisfied, proceed to the Regional Police Commander and, if necessary, to the Inspector General of Police,” he said.
Agago Resident District Commissioner James Nabinson Kidega said 34 youths arrested during Wednesday’s operations were undergoing screening as authorities intensified efforts to restore law and order. “We are conducting these operations to clean up the district,” Kidega said. He added that, alongside law enforcement, the district would encourage unemployed youths to take up vocational skills and income-generating activities.
Kidega said he intends to discourage lifestyles associated with drug abuse, citing his previous experience in Lamwo District, where he mobilised young people into businesses such as making Rolex, Uganda’s popular chapati-and-egg snack. The joint security operations come amid growing concern over violent crime, substance abuse and youth unemployment in Agago District-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
