Police in Aswa West Region have recovered a sub-machine gun (SMG) that was stolen five months ago during a violent attack on the Officer in Charge of Lalogi Police Station in Omoro District.
The firearm was recovered on Sunday, November 1, 2026, after a resident of Barolemo Village, Kalumu Parish in Paicho Sub-county, Gulu District, stumbled upon it while clearing bushes around the compound of his late father, Daniel Komakech.
The police spokesperson for Aswa West and East regions, SP Patrick Jimmy Okema, confirmed the recovery on Monday, revealing that the firearm matched the details of the gun robbed from the police officer in May.
“Upon recovery and examination, the firearm was identified as the very SMG stolen from Lalogi Police Station. Although it had rusted, its serial numbers remained clearly visible,” SP Okema told this publication.
According to police records, on May 11, 2026, at around 8:30 pm, two unidentified assailants armed with a heavy metal object attacked Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) Beatrice Awor while she was resting in her house during a heavy downpour. The assailants struck AIP Awor on the head, leaving her with severe injuries, before making off with the police rifle (registration number UG POL 48014235-15938) and 30 rounds of ammunition.
The five-month hunt for the weapon came to an end when Mr. Richard Otim noticed a white polythene bag buried beneath a tree on his late father’s property. Suspecting something unusual, he inspected the package, discovered the weapon, and immediately alerted the Local Council I (LC I) Chairperson, who then notified security forces.
SP Okema noted that in addition to the rifle, officers retrieved two magazines wrapped alongside the firearm containing 26 and six rounds of ammunition, respectively.
Preliminary security findings indicate that the late Komakech had been arrested on June 19, 2026, alongside Oscar Ojok, a resident of Lalogi, and Vincent Opiro, a resident of Nwoya District, over involvement in a wave of aggravated robberies and murders across the Aswa sub-region.
“During the arrest operation on June 19, 2026, Daniel Komakech was fatally shot after allegedly attempting to disarm one of the security officers,” Okema explained.
He added that the two surviving accomplices are currently facing trial.
“Ojok Oscar and Opiro Vincent were charged in connection with other cases of aggravated robbery and murder before the UPDF General Court Martial and are currently on remand,” SP Okema said.
Security agencies further suspect that Ojok, a local resident of Lalogi, was the mastermind behind the targeted May attack on the police commander’s residence. Police investigations into the broader criminal network remain ongoing.