Police in Obongi District have launched a manhunt for six armed assailants who ambushed a woman on her way home from Konyokonyo Centre, robbed her of cash and mobile money, and subsequently raped her in a nearby maize garden.
The incident occurred on August 31, 2026, at approximately 7:20 PM, and was formally registered at Morobi Police Post on September 1 under SD Ref: 02/01/09/2026 and Obongi CRB 201/2026.
North West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Collins Asea, confirmed the incident, explaining that the victim was attacked by suspects carrying high-powered firearms.
‘On the evening of August 31, 2026, at approximately 19:20 hrs, a female victim was returning home from Konyokonyo Center when she was ambushed by two armed suspects wielding SMG rifles,’ SP Asea said.
‘The assailants forcibly took her handbag containing 98,000 Ugandan shillings and seized her mobile phone. They coerced her into revealing her mobile money PIN, resulting in a transfer of 700,000 Ugandan shillings to an unknown MTN number.’
Police stated that after robbing the woman, the attackers dragged her about 100 meters off the main road into a maize field, where they physically assaulted and sexually violated her. The assailants then damaged her mobile phone, discarded it roughly 20 meters from the scene, and fled on foot.
A joint force of officers from Morobi and Itula Police Stations responded to the scene shortly after the report was made. Investigators recovered the damaged mobile phone, a small brown bag, and a spent cartridge.
Preliminary findings indicate that the gang of six operated in three coordinated sub-teams and carried an array of weapons including SMG rifles, a hammer, a stick, and a knife.
‘It has also been established that several other individuals were robbed within the Morobi area the previous evening by the same group of assailants, who were on foot and subsequently vanished into an unknown location,’ SP Asea told this publication on Wednesday.
The recovered spent cartridge has been submitted for forensic analysis to trace the specific firearm used, while security forces continue intelligence operations across West Nile to track down the suspects.
While the victim continues to receive medical treatment and recovery support, police have appealed to community members to assist with relevant intelligence.
‘We appeal to the public for any information related to these incidents to report to the nearest police station. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,’ SP Asea added.
The violent incident highlights wider regional security concerns regarding armed robberies and gender-based violence. According to the Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report 2025, overall reported crimes across the country dropped by 10.2 percent to 196,405 cases, down from 218,715 cases in 2024.
However, violent offenses involving weapons saw a rise. The crime report indicated that aggravated robberies involving lethal weapons such as firearms, knives, and hammers increased by 6.7 percent, rising to 2,101 cases from 1,968 in 2024. Furthermore, robberies specifically targeting cash spiked by 37.2 percent, while total reported rape cases registered a marginal increase to 1,675 cases nationwide.