By Our Reporter
ARUA
The locals of Ayivu Division in Arua City are blaming the increasing rate of insecurity in the area on the absence of police posts in the Division which resulted from the creation of Arua City.
The locals say the police posts which used to be at every sub-county before the creation of the city were providing a lot of security until when all the seven sub-counties of Pajulu, Adumi, Aroi, Dadamu, Manibe, Oluko and Ayivuni were merged into one Ayivu Division.
As a result, the locals now claim that the removal of police officers from the sub-counties has given advantage to criminals to terrorize them at will.
Speaking to journalists over the weekend, Joseph Edodi, the local council one (LCI) chairperson of Abirisenduku cell in Aroi ward said they used to cooperate right from LCI to LC3 and with police officers at the sub-county level to manage criminality but ever since the sub-counties were closed, work has become very difficult for them.
“These days the youths have taken advantage of the absence of police in the area to commit crime at will. They are fond of stealing people’s properties and at times killing others the way they want because they know we (LCIs) can’t do anything without police. The worst incident I witnessed recently was when a catechist was waylaid and killed in cold blood. In such scenarios, we used to alert police at the sub-county to come very fast and criminals used to fear but now, we can’t do anything because these sub-county police posts are no more,” Edodi said.
Ruben Eriku, a businessman at Onduparaka trading center said the former seven sub-counties had employed so many youths in Ayivu as cleaners, councilors, secretaries, sub-county chiefs and LC3 chairpersons among others.
However, he noted that the closure of the seven sub-counties has left many youths jobless and as a result, they have become idle.
“Now that all the seven sub-counties have been merged into only one Division with one LC3 who is called Mayor, do you think he can do all the work the seven LC3s used to do?” Eriku asked, adding that all the police posts that used to be in the seven sub-counties have been reduced to one station, a situation that has caused a lot of insecurity in Ayivu.
“The police used to be at the former sub-counties of Pajulu, Adumi, Aroi, Dadamu, Manibe, Oluko and Ayivuni and we used to run to them in case of any problem. This is because services were nearer to the people but when we joined the city, all those services are not there. Criminals are now in control of villages, killing people and committing any form of crime. This has become terrible for us to bear,” Eriku said.
Geoffrey Afayo, a resident of Orugbu in Pajulu ward said police had motorcycles at every sub-county police posts to respond to cases of insecurity when called but from the time the posts were closed, it has become very difficult to get the services of police officers.
Nola Candiru, another resident of Adumi Ward observed that recently three people were killed near the former Adumi sub-county headquarters yet when it used to be operational, such incidents were not taking place in the area. Candiru said the killers were so confident that the sub-county was closed, a reason they killed those people.
Candiru urged the government to consider re-establishing the police posts back at the defunct sub-counties so that locals can enjoy the privileges they used to get under the sub-county administration.
When contacted over the concern, Josephine Angucia, the North Western police spokesperson said she really doesn’t know, but will inform the management for further action.
But Isaac Ayikobua, a lawyer, said they have filed a petition over the Ayivu land issue and soon they intend to sue the government if the decision of swallowing the whole Ayivu into the city is not reversed.
