Mr John Lematia, the Member of Parliament representing Ayivu West Constituency, was involved in a physical altercation with Mr James Ariko, a DSTV technician over a woman, on Easter Sunday at Dreamland Hotel located in Kuluva trading center along the Arua-Nebbi highway.
The fight reportedly ensued after Mr James Ariko, who claims to have been in courtship with Faith Eyotaru, a 25-year-old relationship officer at Victoria University Kampala for about eight years, allegedly found her in the MP’s company.
The confrontation ensued when Mr Lematia arrived at Dreamland Hotel accompanied by Eyotaru for a swimming session, only to unexpectedly encounter Mr Ariko already present at the hotel. Upon spotting Lematia and Eyotaru together, Ariko confronted the legislator, with both men asserting a romantic involvement with the woman.
Tensions escalated quickly, leading to a physical altercation that required intervention from the hotel staff to defuse the situation. Josephine Angucia, the West Nile Region police spokesperson, verified the incident, stating that it occurred around 3:00 pm on Sunday. Following the scuffle, both Ariko and Lematia proceeded to the Arua City Central police division to report the incident.
Subsequently, they were directed to Arua district police headquarters at Odumi in Vurra, where they filed separate cases—Ariko for assault and Lematia for threatening violence.
“By the time DPC and the team arrived at Dreamland hotel, they found when both men had gone to register their complaints at Arua City Central Division, from where they were directed to go and report at Arua district police headquarters at Odumi in Vurra,” Angucia said in a statement.
Initial inquiries conducted by the police indicate that Eyotaru had been in a prolonged relationship with Ariko previously, but they purportedly parted ways last year. Following their separation, Eyotaru commenced a relationship with Lematia, who allegedly played a role in her appointment as a relationship officer at Victoria University in Kampala.
A credible source revealed that during an interaction with the police, Eyotaru affirmed that her romantic association with Ariko had terminated, and she is currently involved with Lematia. When approached for a statement, Lematia declined, citing his engagement at an event in Adumi.
