Residents of Ndese Landing site in Kigungu, Entebbe have been left in shock after recovering the body of a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) officer.
Pt Samuel Okodoi was allegedly killed by suspects he and his colleagues were trying to arrest for alleged illegal fishing activities in Lake Victoria.
The Fisheries FPU political Commissar Mr Yero Muhoozi told journalists on Friday that the employer of the two suspected fishermen was arrested as security operatives hunt them down.
“Our teams were on routine patrol on June 14, 2021 and came across illegal fishermen and arrested them. As they were taking them to police, they came across another boat which was illegal in nature, and stopped to carry out another arrest,” he said.
“As they were intercepting the second boat, the first detained suspects who were in our boat jumped into water. One soldier had stepped into the second boat to conduct the arrest. As soon as the other officers jumped into the water to rescue the suspects, the second boat sped off with our officer (Okodoi) and disappeared,” he added.
Mr Muhoozi said a search was mounted until the body was discovered on Thursday evening.
Kayongo Saidi, Kasenyi landing site chairman said they began looking for Pt Okodoi after he was reported missing.
“We were shocked to find his body floating along the shores. After we talked to the fishermen there, they told us there was a scuffle between the officer and a fisherman. The fisherman then allegedly hit the officer and he fell into the water,” he said.
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