Six detainees overpowered a police officer and escaped from custody at Obongi Police Station.
The incident reportedly occurred on Monday morning when the officer opened the cell to allow the suspects to bathe. Caught off guard, the officer was overwhelmed as the group exploited a manpower shortage at the station.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Ignatius Dragudu, spokesperson for the North West Nile Region Police, confirmed the escape, stating that the suspects, mostly young men, acted in coordination to push the officer aside.
“Despite the officer firing warning shots into the air, the suspects managed to flee the scene,” SP Dragudu said.
The fugitives, who hail primarily from neighboring Yumbe District, were in custody on charges of malicious damage to property, housebreaking, and theft.
Authorities have launched a full-scale manhunt to apprehend the escapees and are implementing measures to prevent similar breaches in the future.