The UPDF has arrested and promised firm punishments to soldiers accused of raiding a police station and rescuing colleagues who had been arrested and detained for staging an illegal roadblock.
In an incident that happened at around 9:30, a group of over eight armed UPDF officers moving in a Toyota Land Cruiser raided Lumuli police station and forced the police officers to release the two of their colleagues who had earlier been arrested for staging an illegal roadblock.
However, in a statement released on Thursday afternoon, the deputy UPDF spokesperson, Col Deo Akiiki said they had arrested five soldiers attached to the guard battalion for conducting illegal operations “against the assumed adversary”.
“This contravenes the UPDF Code of conduct and is against the good order and discipline of UPDF. The guards’ illegal operations affected the movement of vehicles which attracted police and Military deployments in Mutungo who later swung into action and arrested the soldiers,” Col Deo Akiiki said.
He named those arrested as Corporal Nocholas Kasaija, Private Isaac Oleti, Corporal Jacob Leti and Private Javira Kazibwe.
The Nile Post has privately learnt that the soldiers were attached to a retired judge as guards.
In an earlier statement, the UPDF had indicated that they will work with their sister security agency to thoroughly investigate the incident of raiding a police station to cause the rescue of two soldiers earlier arrested.
“UPDF condemns such behavior in the strongest terms. Such indiscipline shall never be tolerated as it jeopardizes the good working relationship between the two sister forces. The said soldiers shall be arraigned before the court martial,” Col Akiiki said.
It will remain to be seen if the arrested soldiers will be punished as promised by the army.
In the past, some of the UPDF soldiers involved in incidents of indiscipline like the one who shot at traffic police officer in Ntinda has up to date never been arraigned in courts of law .
