Hundreds of angry residents stormed the Albertine Regional Police Headquarters in Hoima City on Thursday morning in an attempt to lynch three suspected cattle thieves arrested while transporting two cows believed to have been stolen.
The suspects were intercepted at about 6:30 a.m. along the Hoima-Fort Portal Road in Busiisi Cell, Hoima West Division, following intelligence received by police about suspected cattle thieves transporting animals in a vehicle. Flying Squad detectives in the Albertine Region immediately mounted a roadblock along the road and intercepted a Toyota Noah with registration number UA 159AY.
According to police, the suspects were ordered to stop and, upon searching the vehicle, detectives discovered two cows suspected to have been stolen. The three suspects were arrested and taken to the Albertine Regional Police Headquarters, where they were being held as investigations continued.
Julius Hakiza, the Albertine Region Police Spokesperson, confirmed the arrests and recovery of the cattle but declined to provide further details about the suspects, saying investigations were still ongoing. He said the suspects and the recovered exhibits, including the vehicle and cattle, were being held at the Albertine Regional Police Headquarters.
The attempted mob attack comes amid growing police operations against suspected cattle theft in the Albertine region. In August, police in Kakumiro District recovered three suspected stolen vehicles and four cattle following a pursuit of suspected thieves.
The operation followed a report received at Kakumiro Central Police Station that motor vehicles and cattle had been stolen from Nkooko Sub-county. A team of Flying Squad detectives was dispatched to track down the suspects and later mounted a roadblock along the Kakumiro-Hoima Road after receiving intelligence that the suspects had taken the route.
Two black Toyota Noah vehicles, registration numbers UBR 653Y and UA 602DA, approached the roadblock, but their occupants reportedly defied police orders to stop and attempted to flee. Police officers fired several warning shots, prompting the suspects to abandon the vehicles and escape into a nearby bush. Four suspected stolen cows were recovered from the two vehicles. The detectives also pursued a Toyota Premio
io, registration number UAZ 353Q, which had reportedly been stolen from Nkooko Town Council. The occupants abandoned the Premio and fled into a nearby bush after detectives intercepted them in Kisengwe Village. Despite several warning shots, the suspects managed to evade arrest. The recovered vehicles and cattle were subsequently taken to Kakumiro Central Police Station as investigations continued-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
