A STATEMENT ON INCIDENT OF GUNSHOTS BY POLICE FOLLOWING A FATAL ACCIDENT IN ARUA CITY LAST NIGHT 8PM 19-5-2022.

Police in Arua Central Business Area were forced to shoot in the air to disperse the rowdy crowd that had gathered at the scene of a fatal accident where one pedestrian was killed.

The deceased is Ojoandi Ratib a 40year old, resident of Tanganyika around Arua airfield area.

He was knocked dead by a motor vehicle registration number UBG 043H Mark X silver in colour which was driven by one Odedra Omesh Lizabhai, a 25-year-old Indian national and resident of the Arua City Central area.

It is alleged that on 19th May 2022 at around 2100hours, the driver lost control, and the car overturned and knocked the deceased who was walking, killing him on spot. 

The police were informed and rushed to the scene before taking the body to the Arua Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem. 

Meanwhile, the motor vehicle that was involved in the accident was also towed to Arua CPS.

However, an angry crowd descended on another motor vehicle reg. Number UBJ 234D which was also driven by an Indian national who had parked next to the scene and vandalized it. It is also currently parked at Arua CPS. 

The Indian driver who was involved in the accident was arrested and is currently detained at Arua CPS.

The crowd that gathered at the scene had started becoming rowdy and attempted to cause havoc near the coca-cola depot. However, Police dispersed them by firing bullets in the air, until the situation normalized later in the night.

This morning, the Resident City Commissioner Arua together with the security committee, organized a meeting between the Indian Community and the Relatives of the deceased, who then demanded money for burial expenses.

The money was paid by the Indian Community to them to proceed with burial arrangements. They promised to sit for another meeting after the burial for further harmonization of the matter.

Later today, the body of the deceased Ojoandi Ratib will be laid to rest at his ancestral home in Rhinocamp, Madi-okollo district. 

Preliminary investigations indicate the cause of the accident to be overspeeding in a busy town centre. We, therefore, urge motorists to move carefully at moderate speed in congested town centres or urban areas in order to minimize such deadly accidents.

SP Angucia Josephine

PRO West Nile.