By Okidi Patrick
The Territorial Police in Dokolo District have launched a homicide investigation following the recovery of the body of an LC1 Secretary floating in Olweny Swamp, Agwata Town Council.
Four primary school teachers have been arrested to assist with investigations into the suspected murder of 45-year-old Jimmy John Ogwal, a peasant farmer and the local council secretary of Okwor Cell, Tetugo “A” Ward.
According to preliminary police findings, Ogwal left his home on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at around 2:00 PM to socialize at Tetugo Trading Centre. At around 10:00 PM, an intoxicated Ogwal was escorted towards his home by a friend identified only as Obala. Obala later left him along the way, and Ogwal never arrived home.
The alarm was raised the following morning, Sunday, May 10, when a resident informed the deceased’s wife, Christine Alele, 38, that a shirt and a SIM card had been discovered abandoned near the staff quarters of Next Generation Primary School. After identifying the clothing as her husband’s, Alele filed a missing person’s report at Agwata Town Council Police Station.
The search ended tragically on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at around noon, when a local fisherman, Joel Obim, spotted Ogwal’s body floating in Olweny Swamp. He alerted the area LC1 Chairperson, Charles Obula, who subsequently notified the authorities.
A team of homicide detectives and Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) from Dokolo Central Police Station processed and documented the scene. The body was retrieved and conveyed to the Lira Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for a postmortem examination.
North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson, SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, confirmed the arrest of four teachers from Next Generation Primary School, near whose quarters the deceased’s belongings were scattered.
The suspects in custody have been identified as:
- Jaspher Olot, 27
- Justine Innocent Opio, 24
- Benedict Moses Okello, 23
- Samuel Baker Ojwok, 24
“The four suspects are currently detained as we piece together the circumstances surrounding this death,” SP Okema stated. “Our teams will revisit the bar where the deceased was last seen drinking, as well as the spot where his shirt and SIM card were recovered.”
Police are currently awaiting the postmortem report to establish the exact cause of death before compiling the case file for submission to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for legal guidance.
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