Kumi - Police in Kumi district through an intelligence led operation geared towards the dismantling and arresting a notorious group of a criminal gang who are popularly known as Ikok (termites) who have for long been terrorising residents within Kumi town council robbing them off their valuable items like phones, wallets, purses, handbags and many more.

On 02/10/ 2022 police registered a case of alleged aggravated robbery under vide Kumi SD REF. 05/02/10/ 2022 and CRB 634/2022 involving the youth who stole properties and cash worth three hundred thousand uganda shillings (300,000/=) through intimidation and brandishing knives to the victims where ten suspects were arrested and taken into custody pending court.

Some of those arrested include Amuriat, Icumar solomon, monica joseph, opolot daniel, Aluka, Napokol, Akurut, Omodia, Opedo Alex and others are still at large.

It should also be noted that in 2021, police arrested some of the gang members for a case of aggravated robbery under vide CRB 323/2021 of Kumi CPS where more than 30 suspects were taken to court and remanded, while in august, 2022 two more male juveniles were also arrested on burglary and theft case and were consequently remanded to Mbale remand home.

As a result, of the foregoing the police of Kumi have manifestly put in place mechanism to deal with the Ikok youth practicing criminal activities within the district. These efforts put in place to eliminate them from the community include, community policing and apprehending the hard core individuals and taking them to court whenever the an incident is brought to the attention of police.

According to SP Ageca Oscar Gregg the PRO of East Kyoga, the arrest severally of the notorious Ikok gang, shows their determination as police to rid Kumi district area of such actors of violence and community insecurity as they intensify their efforts in dismantling the destructive gang and further calls upon any victims who could have been mugged, attacked robbed or had any crime occasioned upon them by Ikok gang to share details with the police at Kumi District.

"We appeal to the general public that with all the efforts put in place by the police, we still have a challenge of people not following up cases pending before the courts of judicature and while some individuals don't bother to report cases to police which hinders our fight against crime", he added.