ARUA: Emotions ran high on Sunday afternoon as residents of Arua Municipality received the body of their Member of Parliament Ibrahim Abiriga and that of his brother Saidi Kongo.
Thousands of people stormed Arua airfield as the bodies arrived aboard a military helicopter. The chopper touched down at the airfield around 4.30pm but a few security officials at the site were caught unawares when a huge crowd breached the security fences at the airfield, surrounded the helicopter and the ambulances that had been brought to transport the caskets from there to a nearby primary school for public viewing.
Women could be seen throwing themselves around the helicopter as they wailed over the death of the leader. Thousands of angry men were also shouting in anger, accusing the government of failing to protect their leader from being killed.
They then grabbed the casket containing Abiriga’s remains from the funeral service providers A-Plus and carried it on their heads from the airstrip, through Arua Town up to his home.
When police attempted to stop them, they pelted them with stones and the former retaliated with tear gas and live bullets. The situation temporarily returned to normalcy.
However, chaos resumed when the body arrived at the home as hundreds of youth, broke chairs, destroyed tents and tore all clothing in yellow, the NRM party colours. They also removed the National Flag from caskets.
All people not resident in the area are also being beaten up, including journalists. Police are still trying to contain them.
More details to follow…
