By; Jjunju Francis

West Nilers as they are popularly known are today preparing for the final send off of their leader and the former MP for Arua Municipality Ibrahim Abiriga who died in cold blood on Friday at Kawanda in Wakiso district.

Abiriga 62, was gunned down along with his brother Saidi Buga Congo and a body guard.

He is to be buried at his home in Anyafio, a senior quarters’ to the east of Arua town center.

Chaos ensued in Arua as thousands of mourners who had surrounded Arua Airfield awaiting the arrival of late Ibrahim Abiriga’s body overpowered security and poured into the airfield.

Groups of the so-called OPEC Boys, a loose term for petty street business youth overpowered security after reaching Arua air field, forcibly opened the ambulances and seized the two caskets.

The mood was extended to his home through River Oli Division, where Abiriga has a fanatic following where they broke chairs and police had to fire live bullets and tear gas to calm the situation.

Meanwhile several women fainted and collapsed on the ground as the crowd became uncontrollably, over whelming the Red Cross Team that had staged a first aid camp at the airport.

The Caskets were escorted by Mps Mario Obiga Kania, Ismail Ogama, the wife of late Abiriga and some of his younger children all burst into tears as the crowd started wailing unstoppably.

Oli Division where Abiriga is to be laid to rest is also full of ethnic Aringa, a Lugbara sub-group from neighbouring Yumbe District, who habour bitter business and political rivals with the Lugbara-Ayivu, the indigenous people of Arua and surrounding Ayivu County.


Sunday 10th June 2018 09:28:14 PM