Male suspect dies in female cell at Arua police station

Arua, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | There was panic at Arua CPS  this morning after a male suspect was found dead in a female suspects’ cell. The deceased has been identified as 27-year-old Philliam Orodriyo, a boda boda rider from Kasua village in Poke parish, Pajulu sub county in Arua district.

He was arrested by Flying Squad Unit officers attached to Arua Central Police Station on Friday morning for alleged theft of a motorcycle. He was locked up at Arua CPS on Friday evening where he is said to have been tortured by the officers.

Orodriyo spent the entire Saturday and Sunday in the cells with other male suspects but was later moved to the female cell after he reportedly became violent and sickly. The suspect was however found dead this morning. An emergency meeting was convened involving the LCV chairperson, Pajule LC III chairperson, Resident District Commissioner and police over the suspect’s death.

The deceased’s body was later removed from the cells only to be found with clotted blood on the mouth, bruises on the head and cuts on the forehead. David Malaja, the deceased’s brother who was part of the people who picked the body from the police cells says his brother was in good health when he was arrested.

According to Malaja, he was shocked to hear that his brother had died as he was preparing to check on him.

Marlon Avutia, the Pajulu sub county chairperson where the deceased hailed from has called for extensive investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding his death.

Micah Avubieng, the Police Community Liaison Officer who chaired the emergency meeting and later led the relatives to pick the body from the cells declined to comment on the matter saying he will only do so once authorised by the Public Relation Officer.

The West Nile Region Police Spokesperson, Josephine Angucia declined to comment until the postmortem report is issued. URN visited the hospital mortuary and found it tight police protection.

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URN