In a startling turn of events, a routine journey turned into chaos when a group of youth launched a violent attack on a prisons bus over the weekend.
The incident, captured on video and widely circulated on social media, unfolded as a result of a mobile phone theft that occurred earlier in Zirobwe, Luwero district.
According to Prisons spokesman Frank Baine, the tumultuous chain of events began when warders apprehended a phone snatcher at a funeral and placed him onto the bus with the intention of transporting him to the nearest Police station.
However, their plans were thwarted by a group of youth intent on lynching the accused thief.
Baine revealed that the warders, who were unarmed at the time, had escorted a colleague identified only as Kasozi to attend a relative’s burial.
“As they made their way, tensions escalated when the youths targeted the bus, seeking retribution for the alleged theft,” he said.
Addressing journalists on Monday at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala, Baine recounted the harrowing ordeal.
“Despite being outnumbered and unarmed, the warders managed to fend off the assailants and sought refuge at a nearby Police post. The suspect was subsequently handed over to the authorities,“ he said.
According to Baine, the incident underscores the growing concern over rising instances of theft and vigilantism in the region.
“Authorities are urging the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands and to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure justice is served through proper channels,” he said.