The ring leader in the September 2020 Moroto prison break in which guns and rounds of ammunition were looted has been netted in Kotido district.
Security forces have for the last 10 months been on a hunt for the 40-year-old Lokolikau Lochu and others. Over 80 escapees have been rearrested.
Lochu was found with a gun with 14 rounds of ammunition. Police say the gun belongs to Uganda Prisons Services.
In September last year , a total of 219 inmates overpowered prison warders at Singila prison in Moroto District, broke into the armory and went away with a total of 15 guns and 480 bullets. Efforts to pursue them yielded no results then but the forces did not give up.
In the 10 months hunt, the security forces have put out of action (killed) several members of the group while others have been arrested.
With Lochu’ arrest and recovery of the gun he was carrying, the forces continue to hunt for the 13 more stolen SMG guns still missing.
“As we continue with disarmament operations, today morning 20th/7/21 at around 8:30 am, the joint forces recovered smg.no.UG.POL.56-5968030-40693 with 14 rounds from Kotido district belonging to prisons service after arresting one of the escapees who broke into the Moroto prisons armoury last year by names Lokolikau Lochu aged 40 years,” said one of the police officers who carried out the operation in which Lochu was arrested.
Police says Lochu has been using the same gun to carry out cattle raids in the neighbouring districts.
