(SOURCE: New Vision)
Police guards attached to Forum for Democratic Change presidential candidate, Patrick Amuriat Oboi had a bitter exchange with their colleagues in Moyo district after they threw teargas canisters at them.
The guards were furious and confronted the District Police Commander (DPC), Joab Wabwire, and his officers.
“Do you want to kill us?” they asked as they angrily advanced towards the DPC.
The officers close to him cocked their guns, which prompted the guards to do the same.
The tense atmosphere was calmed by another plain-clothed guard. “Stop, please stop… cool down,” he shouted at the top of his voice.
It should be recalled that after the nomination of presidential candidates, each was given Police security guards by the Electoral Commission.
The cause of commotion
After Amuriat’s campaign rally in Adjumani, he proceeded to Moyo district. On arrival at Celecele town council, he wanted to hold a rally which was blocked by Wabwire, thus causing the commotion.
He was asked to leave but claimed he could not leave the venue because his vehicle had developed a mechanical fault.
“My car has got a mechanical problem but if you are impatient, order your men and push it up to the venue of your choice,” Amuriat told Wabwire.
Surprisingly, when the teargas intensified, Amuriat’s car managed to move without any hindrance.
Early this week, the same security detail of Amuriat complained of attacks by their Field Force Police-FFP colleagues. Therefore yesterday’ events are a culmination of repeated attacks by their colleagues.
The officers said they have become victims of teargas, water cannons and other forms of brutality from their counterparts deployed to break up Amuriat’s rallies.
On Wednesday, 19th November, the officers were teargassed by dozens of Field Force Police-FFP personnel from Gulu central police station while struggling to quell down rowdy FDC supporters who were holding a procession through Gulu city.
The FFP officers threw teargas at the presidential candidate as members of his security detail tried to shield him.
Some of the police guards who are from the Counter-Terrorism Unit were overheard shouting on top of their voices at their colleagues to direct the teargas elsewhere but all in vain.
’We are part of you and were deployed from the police headquarters to protect the presidential candidate. Why are you firing at us? This is unrealistic,” some of the officers said.
While at Awere open grounds, John Bosco Nyangkol, the officer in-charge of Gulu central police station who led the operation was seen frantically struggling to stop the FFU officers from firing at their colleagues in vain.
It took almost two hours for the FFU officers to respond to Nyangkol’s orders to stop firing teargas and live bullets.
