Remanded Until Further Notice⚠️: High Court Fails to Schedule Trial or Bail Hearing for Suspects from Yumbe Incarcerated in Arua Prison for One Year Without Trial.
Story by Osuta Yusuf.
Arua City.
29-9-2025.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
● The 4 suspects were detained by Police in Yumbe for 11 days, contrary to Article 23, 4 (b) of the 1995 Constitution.
● Despite Article 23, 6 (a), (b) and ( c) of the same Constitution, the 4 suspects have been on remand in Arua prison for One year now.
Arrested from Yumbe District on 28-8-2024 and few days later remanded to Prison upto date, the High Court sitting in Arua City has delayed to produce the 4 Suspects in Court for bail hearing or to kickstart their trial case in regards to alleged murder crimes they were arrested of from Bolomoni village, Odravu West Sub-county in Yumbe District, despite having spent One year now in prison.
Having been charged with Murder, under case file number, YUMBE CRB 419/2024 which arose from Criminal Case YBE-CO-618-2024, and they have so far spent One year on remand without trial or bail, the suspects include; Mr Okulega Fendru Gasper, Mr Toko Geofrey, Mr Fendru A Robert and Mr Romano Apeku all family members of Luka Akile Fendru, the Landlord who in 2016 voluntarily offered land to host refugees in Zone 4, Bidi Bidi Refugee settlement in Aringa South Constituency, Yumbe District.
In an effort to grab land, on 19-8-2024, a Mob allegedly led by Suleiman Karube Dudu the person claiming the land stormed the home of Luka Akile Fendru, resulting into a bloody physical fight and death of two people from the side of Suleiman Dudu, and One person who is the Land owner Mr Luka Akile Fendru died after he was shot with arrow and cut with panga by some of the people Suleiman Karube Dudu went with for the conflict, according to the key witnesses and police statement over the whole case.
The case concerning the 4 accused Suspects stems from a land wrangle on 19-August-2024 in Bolomoni village, Otakua Parish, Odravu West Sub-county, Aringa South Constituency in Yumbe District between the family of Luka Akile Fendru (RIP) and Suleiman Karube Dudu, which resulted into the family Members of Luka Akile Fendru resisting their efforts to claim the land, leading into the fight that ended the life of Suleiman Karube Dudu's son Mr Taban (RIP) and one other person who had gone with some groups of people to bury a dead person in the contested land as one of the efforts to grab the land.
It should be noted that, Luka Akile Fendru who was also killed during the 19-8-2024 land wrangle by the other party led by Suleiman Karube Dudu, has been living together with his family members on the contested 600 acres of land for over 100 years now after Luka Akile (RIP) had inherited the land from his father.
Speaking during an interview with the Lawyer representing the 4 remanded suspects, Counsel Madira Jimmy decried Court's delay and infringement on the rights of the accused persons by simply failing to schedule their case for trial or bail application.
“My 4 clients were committed to the High Court on 7-February-2025 and upto now September 2925, not even trial of the case or bail application hearing has been done in Arua High Court despite my efforts of pleading to the court”, Lawyer Madira stated as he says he has filed bail applications for the 4 suspects but Court has failed to fix a date for the hearing.
Asked on the 1995 Constitution article 23, section 6 which talks about “Bail” and also “Mandatory Bail” for the release of suspects who has spent more than 180 days on remand without trial, Lawyer Madira condemned the infringement on the rights of the suspects as he appeals to other government bodies like Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) to intervene in the case so that the accused persons can gain their freedom.
The 19-8-2024 land wrangle has left the family of the killed Luka Akile Fendru bleeding with houses burnt, over 100 animals looted, children dropped out of school and 4 Family Members (Mr Okulega Fendru Gasper, Mr Toko Geofrey, Mr Fendru A Robert and Mr Romano Apeku) on remand for one year now without trial.
Our efforts to get a comment from the Court Officials were futile.
Stay tuned.
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