By Kei Emmanuel Duku
A wave of fear swept across Lefori Town Council after a violent night raid on November 1st, 2025, where suspected South Sudanese armed men fired guns into the air before looting local shops.
The attack, which occurred at approximately 20:06 hours, has been confirmed by authorities. The armed robbery took place at the trading center in Maringu East Cell, Lefori Town Council, Moyo District.
The Superintendent of Police (SP) Asea COLLINS** confirmed the incident, detailing the alarming report from the ground investigation team.
He revealed that “reports from the investigation team on the ground indicate that four unidentified armed men, wielding three rifles, believed to have come from South Sudan entered Lefori trading Center and started firing in the air scaring the public.”
The suspects fired gunshots in the vicinity, causing panic and prompting residents to flee. The suspects then entered one of the shops, where they stole an undisclosed number of smartphones and an unspecified amount of money. “The shops were robbed with an unspecified amount of money. But also mobile phones were stolen,” SP Collins added.
Regarding the ongoing investigation, SP Collins stated, “He added scene visits by police officers that revealed recovered cartridge cases. The scene has been secured, and a forensic investigation is ongoing.” Police have deployed personnel to continue investigations and are actively hunting the suspects. “He said the crime police with the help of other organized forces are currently hunting for the suspects. we are also arguing with anyone with vital information relating to the incident to report to any nearby police station as the community should remain calm as our investigation continues.”
Martin Izaruku, District Local Councilor (DLC) to Moyo District, offered commentary on the robbers’ tactics and the resulting community anxiety.
“The Suspected armed men entered Lefori Town Council in Moyo District and they started firing guns in the air at night. the motive of that gunshot, it is to scare people away from where they are” Izaruku said. He speculated on their methods: “I think those people have unorganized their plan.”
Eyewitness accounts suggest a chaotic scene near the Lefori Primary school playground. “Whereas some people probably fell on the ground after the shooting some people now entered the shop.” The attackers, who came from “outside of the football field on the side of Lefori Primary,” were “suspected to be maybe armed robbers from South Sudan.”
The district councilor said that authorities are currently struggling with the identification of the criminals: “Who and who did this is not known, because that thing was at night and it is not clear at the moment.”
Izaruku highlighted that the constant threat of attacks has forced residents to drastically alter their routines. “You know, now people are wondering when it comes to that, what will happen. many of the people, when it is reaching 6 to 7, now they will begin closing up the shops. So, because it is not safe anymore,” he noted.
The attacks, which previously focused on the wider Lefori Sub County, Izaruku said the nature of the attacks have swifted to other areas near the South Sudanese refugee camps, specifically the Belameleng side. He confirmed that robberies are common on the road through Belameleng, with assailants using “the gun, but also others coming with knives and Pangas.”
The crisis is exacerbated by regional instability and difficulty in securing the border. “Of course, the borders are porous you cannot control the movement of people with guns and all that. So, the fears are all those. And the villagers are scared,” stated the district councilor.
In a plea for lasting stability, Izaruku concluded with a call for peace: “Most of this robbery comes when people are not employed making life is hard so our brothers in a country like Uganda and South Sudan, I call upon peace to reign within the two countries.”