“They call themselves street kids,” yet they are not kids, according to RCC Lawrence Egole.
Lira–9, December 2021: Over 80 suspected criminals were on Wednesday arrested by the joint security team in Lira City in an operation. Among the suspects arrested are three girls.
In an interview, the Lira City East Division Police Commander (DPC), Godfrey Abigaba said, “The operation will be daily to keep the city security in check.”
“Among the suspects, some of them are juveniles and the security will get in touch with Civil Society Organization (CSOs) to handle them while the adults will be taken to Court.”
The DPC now calls on the public to inform the security with information on security threats in their areas, warning bar owners against illegal operations.
“Bars have not yet been opened,” he told TND News.
According to Lira Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Lawrence Egole, the operation is to clean the town. “This was done in some suspected hot spot places used by the wrongdoers to terrorize the public within the city,” RCC added.
He says the suspects are between the ages of 20 to 40s. “They call themselves street kids,” yet they are not kids. “The decisions are yet to be made on how to handle the underage since Lira does not have children’s remand home for some few who are arrested.”
The RCC revealed the girls are being used to dupe targeted people, conning men and prostitution, adding that these girls are also thugs.
Lira City has become “very big,” according to Egole, he adds: “It’s hosting a different kind of people from different places with different characters, everyone needs to know his/her neighbour.”
Weeks ago, some residents in the City complained that street children have taken the management of some streets. They [residents] claimed security officials are [were] not performing their roles of protecting them.
By press time, the police were yet to levy any legal charges against the suspects.
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