LDUs register progress in fighting crime

The Local Defence Unit (LDU) has recovered 11 guns and arrested 17 armed robbers, since it started its operations in April this year.

Speaking to the media over the weekend,the UPDF First Division Spokesperson, Maj. Yusuf Katamba revealed that the force registered several successes in the fight against crime.

The spate of murders of women in Entebbe and of people in different parts of the country compelled President Museveni to issue a directive to recruit 24,000 Local defence force(LDUS) to help police in fight against crime.

Currently the army has recruited 6,500 LDUs who started the operation in in April this year.

However,some people have accused LDUs of torture and extortion.

Despite the accusation, Katamba revealed that it was LDU force working closely with the police and other security agencies that arrested mobile money robbers who killed a woman at Najjanankumbi.

“People who were arrested in Masajja were connected to the murder of the mobile money girl in Najjanankumbi so that tells you that there is a link. We were able to arrest those people. The roads were impassable at night because of the patrol of the LDUs," he said.

He noted that some of the robbers have close connections with security.

“Most of them are civilians but you can find that sometime maybe they went to Iraq..., maybe they have the history connected to the military here and there," he said.

Recently President Museveni directed all guns in the country be registered as one way to fight criminals who are using guns to terrorise Ugandans.