A senior three-year-old student of Arengesiep Secondary School in Nabilatuk district, northern Uganda, has been shot dead by the security forces during an operation against cattle rustling.
Idoo Lokwakori was shot dead in Nagule-Angolo village, Ngoloriet sub-county, Napak district, where he was in a company of 13 warriors trying to steal cows from a cattle kraal in Nagule-Angolo village.
According to the police spokesperson for Mt. Moroto, Michael Longole, the body was taken back to his home for proper burial preparation and also to be a learning lesson for the rest of the youth since many of them have started working with cattle raiders to steal.
However, he added that the youth are getting involved in cattle theft of late, and they will not spare them if caught in a criminal act.
“Students try to avoid bad companies and stay in school to have a bright future,” said Longole.
The Cattle Rustlers are a group of pastoralists from the Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda who engage in cattle raiding as a traditional practice to acquire wealth and prestige.
The locals asked the government to step up efforts to sensitise the communities in the sub-region, particularly the youth, who constitute the largest number of rustlers against the vice. The use of the army to forcibly stop cattle rustling has been tried before, with limited success being registered.
