Nwoya police investigate arson incident that killed three year old boy

Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema, the Aswa River regional police spokesperson. (Photo: Kazi-njema News)

Police in Nwoya District are investigating circumstances under which an arsonist torched down a grass-thatched hut that left a three-year-old boy, Stephen Ocen dead and his seven-year-old brother, Isaac Okello and their mother, Milly Ayoo with severe burns.

Okello and his mother were rushed to Anaka General Hospital before being transferred to St Mary’s Hospital, Lacor in Gulu city.

The incident happened at Tido B Village in Pakia Parish, Lii Sub-county in Nwoya District on Tuesday this week at around midnight.

A health worker at Anaka hospital who preferred to remain anonymous because of not being allowed to talk to the press said that the victims were severely burnt.

“The victims were burnt up to 90% and need more specialised medical management,” said the heath worker.

Speaking to our reporter at her sickbed, Ayoo suspected the incident to failed love advances that a one Jimmy Amari had allegedly proposed to her.

“Jimmy Amai had been proposing love to me and on 8 this month he bought me some maize flour. Then he began frequenting my house at night demanding for sex but I refused. In turn, he threatened to harm me,” she narrated.

One of Ayoo’s close relatives said that the incident occurred after she had separated with her husband in Lira three years ago before travelling to Nwoya district to practice arable farming.

“We can’t tell what was the exact cause of the incident because we are in Lira district and just came here following the incident,” the relative said.

Mr Jimmy Patrick Okema, the Aswa River regional police spokesperson told this website that police visited the scene and a postmortem conducted on 12 this month before the deceased’s body was handed to the relatives for burial.

The police officer said that Amari, who is the prime suspect in the crime, was arrested today from the same village.

“We are keeping him [Jimmy Amari] at Koch Goma police post pending transfer to Nwoya central police to help us in the investigation,” Mr Okema said.

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