By Solomon Hamala
BUTALEJA
Armed thugs have shot dead a pump attendant at a petrol station in Butaleja Town Council before fleeing with Shs50million.
The thugs who were numbering about three reportedly stormed the petrol station at around 4 a.m today morning 8th June 2021 and reportedly put the deceased, Bob Wandange at gun point demanding for money.
An eyewitness, John Hasakya said the deceased attempted to resist before attempting to flee away but was shot in the back.
The thugs later managed to break into the offices of Gas land petrol station where they took away Shs50million.
The lifeless body of the deceased lying in a pool of blood was later picked by police that arrived at the scene at around 7.30 a.m with a sniffer dog but failed to trace the direction where the thugs could have used to flee.
The LC one chairman Nanyulu cell, Butaleja town council, Yusuf Mbubi Mugoya condemned the action taken by the owners of the petrol station to hire unarmed security guards.
Mbubi said the security guard who was armed with an arrow and bow hid in a nearby toilet and only surfaced after the thugs had left almost thirty minutes later.
“He could have been in position to shoot back to scare away the thugs but he just hid away from the thugs during the process,” he said.
The thugs are believed to have rode away on a sports bike towards the direction of Mbale after the incident.
The Resident District Commissioner Butaleja, Stanley Bayoole has urged anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the thugs to volunteer information to police for necessary action.
Bayoole said the district security committee is soon to convene a meeting to seek ways on how to control the rising cases of insecurity carried out by people suspected to have infiltrated the area from neighboring districts of Mbale, Tororo and Busia.
“We need to put our heads together to ensure that this current situation is dealt with once and for all,” he said.
He urged parents to sensitize their parents about the dangers of engaging in acts of crime avoid similar cases.
“Some of our parents know that their children are involved in bad acts but instead defend them,” he said.
The acting district police commander Butaleja, Richard Twesigye said one person, Asuman Koiza, the security guard was being held to help in the investigations.
By press time, the body of the deceased had been taken away by relatives for burial in Busoli village Busolwe town council, tomorrow.
