By George Emuron
BUKEDEA
Police in Bukedea Central Police Station in Bukedea district has been accused by community members of failing to provide footage of assailants who stormed Petro City Fuel Station on Sunday night.
The yet to be identified assailants moved away with undefined amount of money, mobile phones, other properties leaving the acting manager dead and other two in critical condition.
The robbers attacked the fuel station at 8pm which is at a distance of about 70 meters next to the Bukedea central police station.
According to the locals, police should be able to avail the assailant’s footage since the location of the stormed fuel station is along the roadside where the CCTV cameras are installed.
“We are not seeing the reason why police can fail to avail footage of the assailants, petro city fuel station is at the Mbale-Soroti highway where cameras are installed,” said Locals.
Sam Engole, the Bukedea town council LCIII chairperson said police should be able to trace for the assailants through use of the footage but since there is no captured footage, case management will be challenging.
He said as town council security head, he believed that the installation was aimed at helping police to curb criminality
“Are the cameras for decoration or for a purpose? Let police avail the public with the footage,” said Mr. Engole.
Mr. Engole also added that if the installed cameras cannot capture footage at the highway now how safe is someone in the village.
In response, Oscar Gregory Ageca, the East Kyoga Police Spokesperson says police is unable to avail the assailants’ footage because the assailants did not pass where the cameras are.
“We want to inform the public that, CCTV cameras are stationed along the highway, and cameras cannot run to follow people, these assailants did not pass where cameras are, so we cannot avail any footage”, said Mr. Ageca.
Mr. Ageca also advised business people with cash businesses to install private CCTV cameras in their premises.
Meanwhile, Bukedea has got about four CCTV cameras installed all along Mbale- Soroti highway and none managed to capture the footage of the assailants.
The attack left Daniel Esipan, the acting manager dead and the other two identified as Tom Omoto, a pump attendant and Ivan Masete the station security guard still nursing injuries at Mbale referral hospital.
