By Mike Rwothomio 

Authorities in Koboko District , in West Nile Sub Region are probing a gruesome case of homicide by mob action and arson following the brutal lynching of three male suspects believed to be involved in livestock theft.

The incident, according to Police, which unfolded in the dead of night in Diobi Village, Metino Parish, Abuku Sub-county, underscores the rising peril of vigilante justice amid escalating cattle raids during the festive season.

According to West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson SSP Josephine Angucia, the incident was reported to Koboko Central Police Station around 9:00 PM, prompting the registration of case file CRB 482/2025 for murder by mob and arson.

"Our team responded swiftly upon receiving intelligence of the triple homicide and the torching of the suspects' vehicle," Angucia stated in an official briefing.

The victims have been identified as Habibu Suleiman, a 43-year-old male adult from Maracha Village, Yapi Parish, Dadamu Sub-county in Arua City, confirmed via a National ID recovered from his person. 

The other two deceased remain unidentified pending forensic examination.

Post-incident analysis revealed the perpetrators had bound the victims' hands with ropes behind their backs before inflicting multiple blunt-force traumas to their heads, resulting in fatal injuries.

Eyewitness accounts suggest the trio was ambushed on suspicion of cattle rustling, a rampant offense in the region.

Three heads of cattle, allegedly stolen, were recovered at the crime scene and impounded at Koboko CPS as evidence.

The suspects' army-green motor vehicle, bearing registration UA 186BP (model: Drone), was set ablaze in a deliberate act of arson, with the charred wreckage also exhibited at the station.

SSP Angucia condemned the extrajudicial killings, emphasizing that "mob justice not only obstructs lawful investigations "

No arrests have been made in connection with the lynching, but inquiries are ongoing, with detectives canvassing for leads among local communities urged to heighten vigilance without resorting to unlawful means.

The Uganda Police Force's Annual Crime Report for 2024 categorizes mob justice (referred to as "murder by mob action") under homicides, where groups engage in extrajudicial killings of suspected offenders.

A total of 1,016 cases were reported nationwide, marking a 2.2% decrease from 1,039 cases in 2023. This represents a subset of the overall 4,329 homicide cases in 2024, which saw a 1.9% increase from 4,248 the previous year.

Approximately 1,098 individuals were lynched (1,078 male adults and 20 female adults), with victims primarily suspected of Theft: 713 cases, 662 killed, Robbery: 64 cases, 53 killed, Murder: 45 cases, 31 killed, Burglary: 41 cases, 36 killed.

The burnt vehicle

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at zoomer Africa, your number one grassroot information hub.