The joint force of police and army have launched a hunt for the a group of armed Karimojong cattle rustlers who ambushed and shot at cattle traders.
The incident that took place on Monday at 2pm in the place called Lobel village in Kotido sub county of Kotido district left two traders injured in a critical condition.
Mr Micheal Longole the Karamoja regional police Spokesperson confirmed the the incident and identified the two injured traders by names as Francis Engolet a resident of Atele village, Atele parish Abarilela sub county in Amuria district and Steven Onoria, a resident of Komolo B village in Nakwai parish, Kamekw sub county in Pallisa district.
Longole said the traders had gone to buy cows in Kaabong and they were on their way back to Teso region.
“They were carrying 17 cows aboard a truck registration number UBB 027F and when they reached Lobel, the rustlers showered them with bullets but the brave driver managed to pass through the ambush and only stopped in at the detach,” he said.
He said the injured traders were rushed to Kotido district hospital were they are currently getting treatment.
He said the forces immediately responded after hearing the gunshot but the rustlers took off.
Longole noted that this is the third road thuggery by Karimojong cattle rustlers since the cattle rustling resumed two years ago in Karamoja.
The district Chairperson Kotido Joseph Komol said the current insecurity in Karamoja was defeating the presence of heavily armed soldiers.
“We need aggressiveness to end this because it is too much,” he said.
Moses Dengel the parish councilor for Kotido sub county said Kotido has now turned out to be the most insecure town in the entire Karamoja.
“People are not freely doing business in Kotido as used to be in the past because of the Insecurity,” he said. “We need the government to be serious on this!”
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