ARUA: Residents in Arua have turned rowdy after the bodies of former Arua Municipality Member of Parliament Col. Ibrahim Abiriga and his brother and former body guard touched base in Arua district Sunday evening about one hour after leaving Kololo in Kampala.
Chaos started when huge numbers of sad and sombre Arua residents waiting at Arua airfield tried to take the bodies from the military helicopter but security and A.Plus officials were quick to put them in Ambulances readily waiting at the airfield.
However several minutes later, police found it hard to control the rowdy crowd that insisted on carrying bodies of Abiriga and his brother from the funeral hearse and carrying them by themselves to his home in Adiofe, Arua district.
After successfully hijacking the bodies from the funeral hearse, the uncontrollable crowd asked police and journalists to back off and let them mourn their ‘heroes’ in peace.
A few of them tried to raid Arua police headquarters and force themselves in with stones which led to police firing bullets to disperse the crowds.
Several people are seeking refuge at the local police station after being beaten by angry youth at Abiriga’s home.
A planned council meeting that was meant to take place was cancelled.
The late NRM diehard Ibrahim Abiriga and brother Said Kongo will be laid to rest tomorrow in Arua where the President is expected to be in attendance.
Updates to follow…
