By Andrew Irumba
Kampala: Police and its sister security agencies have started a serious hunt for a senior police officer who was recently arrested with his colleagues for demolishing Ndeeba Church after information leaked that he escaped from police custody yesterday night.
The officer who is wanted dead or alive has been identified as SP Martin Odero, the Commander of Field Force Unit (FFU) Kampala Metropolitan South Region.
On Monday morning, police arrested three police officers and eleven others for having participated in the demolition of Ndeeba Church on Sunday night. Police officers were detained at Railway police, the facility that is gazetted to detain senior police officers.
However, our reliable Sources from Police revealed to us that SP Odelo escaped from the custody yesterday night. “This officer tricked his juniors that he was receiving a private phone call so he needed some privacy for just a short time,” says one of the officers attached at Railway Police station.
He added that police guards trusted his words and allowed him to move some distance to receive his private call. “However, the police guards waited for over 30 minutes and the officer was not coming back,” adds the source that was on duty.
He added that when one of the guards went to check on him, he could not be traced. “The guard called his fellow guards and moved all over the premises searching for him but could not see him. They even moved some kilometres hunting for him but in vain,” the source added.
He added that they came back and reported to boss who was on night duty about the escape of the senior officer. “The guards after reporting to their boss even went and searched his home but could not find him,” says other female police officer who didn’t want to be named.
When contacted, Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango confirmed that it’s true the officer escaped from police custody and that court had already issued a warrant of arrest against him. “Yes, it’s true,our officer and we’re hunting him down. However, his other colleagues with whom he was arrested were charged and currently in prison on demand,” said Onyango.
