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Family accuses prison warders of beating teenager to death in Arua
A man is seen next to the body of a yet to be identified boy at the Arua regional prison office on September 5, 2024. PHOTO | CLEMENT ALUMA
What you need to know:
- Abedriga expressed frustration that the prison authorities did not assist with transporting the body or with burial arrangements, choosing instead to ignore their pleas for help.
On Thursday morning, relatives and locals from the Prison Cell area in Arua City Central Division brought the body of a 17-year-old boy to the Uganda Prisons Regional Offices, accusing prison warders of torturing him to death.
The deceased, identified as Felix Afeku, a barber and resident of the Prison Cell in Kenya Ward, Arua City Central Division, allegedly died after being beaten by prison warders under unclear circumstances.
Gerald Andruga, a sibling of the deceased who was also arrested, is currently receiving treatment at Arua Regional Referral Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. He was taken there by the police.
From his hospital bed, Andruga recounted the events: “Felix woke me up around 1am complaining of severe chest pain from ulcers and asked for water. We didn’t have any at home, so we went to the well. There, we were surrounded by three armed men who arrested us and took us inside the prison’s wall. Once inside, we were stripped of our clothes, forced to roll on a rough surface, and beaten continuously.”
Mr Isaac Abedriga, the father of the deceased, stated that if his sons had been found in the wrong, they should have been taken to the police station rather than being subjected to such violence. “They were arrested on the claim that they were stealing food crops from the garden. They were beaten inside the prison compound. When Felix's condition worsened, they took him to the hospital but left Gerald at the police station.”
Body dumped at Prisons office
Abedriga expressed frustration that the prison authorities did not assist with transporting the body or with burial arrangements, choosing instead to ignore their pleas for help.
Contrary account
Mr Ndori Leni, the Regional Prisons Commander, provided a different account, stating that his staff responded to a distress call from outside the prison wall. “These individuals came from the Enyau area, being chased by other youths. Our staff heard the commotion around 2am and went to investigate. They found two people on the ground—one badly injured and the other recovering. We called the police for assistance but received no response, so we took them to the hospital ourselves,” Ndori explained.
The Resident City Commissioner for Arua, Mr Salim Komakech, confirmed that; "The prison authorities have agreed to cover the burial expenses and will transport the body to Madi Okollo District as investigations continue." He added that the police will conduct community sensitisation sessions for those living near the prison.
However, locals maintain that the prison warders deliberately targeted the two boys and frequently guarded their farm, fueling their suspicions.
