Lira, Uganda | Police in Lira City East Division have launched investigations into an aggravated robbery in which a UPDF soldier was attacked and robbed of his motorcycle along the Soroti-Lira Highway in the early hours of Monday morning.
The victim, identified as Pte Okello Tom, a UPDF soldier attached to Moyo Army Barracks and a resident of Akitenino B Village in Adyel Ward, Lira City West Division, was reportedly attacked at around 2:00 a.m. in Gwengabara Cell.
According to North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, the soldier was riding his red TVS motorcycle, registration number UFH 438Z, valued at approximately Shs6 million, when he encountered two unknown men who had erected a roadblock on the highway.
The assailants allegedly stopped him, assaulted him with sticks and clubs, and forcefully took away the motorcycle before fleeing the scene.
The UPDF soldier sustained injuries to the head and was left bleeding by the roadside. Residents who found him rushed him to a nearby clinic where he received first aid treatment.
Police said a night patrol team later recovered the stolen motorcycle at around 4:30 a.m. after intercepting a group of men pushing it. The suspects abandoned the motorcycle and fled upon noticing the patrol officers.
The recovered motorcycle was taken to Angwetangweta Police Station as evidence.
Detectives visited both the robbery scene and the recovery scene, recorded statements from the victim and other witnesses, and documented the recovered motorcycle for evidential purposes.
The victim has been issued with a Police Form Three (PF3) to undergo a medical examination, while investigators are also reviewing CCTV footage from the area to identify the suspects.
Police noted that residents described the location as a known criminal hotspot, which has prompted routine night patrols by security personnel as part of crime prevention efforts.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.
