In what seems to be a new crime wave in Gulu, cases of kidnap and homicides have continued to rise against juveniles as police struggle to conduct investigations to establish the motives behind the incidents.
Atleast seven cases of kidnap were reported in Gulu City in the Eastern and Western divisions in the last two weeks while three of the victims were discovered dead under yet unclear circumstances.
The recent incident occurred on Sunday in Gulu East Division where two juveniles aged between three and twelve years went missing from their different homes in Pece Pudyek Cell.
Victoria Ayenyo, a teacher in Police Nursery School identified the minor as Miriam Adoch who is a primary four pupil in Mother Land Nursery and Primary School Campus in Gulu.
Ayenyo who is the mother to the victim, revealed that her daughter left home on Sunday at 07:00 am to fetch water but never returned.
Meanwhile, decomposing body of a five-year-old girl was found dumped into the area with her breast and tongue cut just a week later after she was reportedly kidnapped.
The Aswa Regional Police Public Relations Officer David Ongom Mudong disclosed on Monday in an interview with journalists that several cases of kidnap and homicides were reported.
The reported cases include a six years old girl identified as Patience Lamaro who was found dead in a pit latrine on the 07th, May 2022, a day after she disappeared from home with a CRB 05/07/2022 reported.
Another juvenile only identified as Agenorwot aged one and half years that disappeared from home on the 06th, May 2022 was found dead the following day in a swampy area in Gulu East Division.
Other incidents involved Denis Ouma who was nearly two years old, from Labora village in Pader District who disappeared from home on 06th May 2022 and was found dead in a stream in the neighborhood.
Ongom however noted that the police have not yet established the motives of the attackers as the investigations into the situation continue.
“We don’t know why these attackers are targeting the juveniles but what I can say is that the cases have increased in the region over the past one week,” Ongom said.
The Deputy Residence City Commissioner Gulu Peter Banya revealed that the attackers are moving in groups targeting families with children as they lure away with gifts and other items.
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