Court proceedings at Abim Magistrate’s Court descended into chaos on Tuesday when a swarm of bees invaded the courtroom around midday, sparking panic and prompting temporary escapes by detainees.
The bees targeted court staff, police officers, prison officers, litigants, remandees, and suspects, forcing everyone to flee in search of safety. Amid the confusion, 12 remandees and 7 suspects managed to escape custody but were later recaptured and returned to Amita Government Prisons.
In a separate incident, another swarm of bees attacked Campswahili Police Station in Moroto District, leaving three individuals hospitalized. The sudden assault caused widespread panic among police officers, who fled the station, while detainees in custody were stung repeatedly.
Emergency responders from the police braved the bee attack to rescue the detainees and quickly transported the injured to Moroto Regional Referral Hospital for treatment.
Mike Longole, spokesperson for Mt Moroto Regional Police, confirmed that both situations were brought under control with the coordinated efforts of the police, Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF), and prison authorities.