The Police in South Kyoga have released a statement and details regarding the shooting incident at Teso Progressive Academy (TEPA) in Ngora District, which left a senior three student dead and a teacher critically injured.
A police incident report filed at Ngora Central Police Station (CPS) has confirmed that the fatal shot was fired by a UPDF soldier who had accompanied a police officer to the school to arrest the student over a theft-related case.
The deceased, Okiror Gabriel, aged 20, was shot dead at around 10:37 am at Osigiria Cell in Ngora Town Council, according to the official police report referenced as NGORA CRB 353/2025.
The teacher who was injured in the same incident, identified as Majja Bernard, a Geography teacher at the school, was hit by the same bullet that killed the student. According to the report, the incident began earlier that morning when Mr. John Omugur, the Director of Teso Progressive Academy, contacted the police regarding disciplinary issues involving Okiror.
The student had allegedly returned to school on the morning of 18 November after previously being suspended in mid-October over repeated cases of theft, including confiscating property belonging to a fellow student.
At exactly 10:09 am, Police Constable (PC) No. 74632 Ijobu Sylvia, attached to Ngora CPS, booked out with an AK-47 rifle in the company of Private (Pte) RA/293096 Atim Agnes, a UPDF soldier attached to the Military Police in Kampala.
Atim Agnes had been in the region as part of a security detail providing escort and protection for UNEB exam activities. When the officers arrived at the school, they reportedly encountered strong resistance from Okiror, who allegedly became violent as they attempted to apprehend him.
The police report states that Okiror refused to cooperate and resisted all attempts to be taken into custody, prompting a confrontation. In a dramatic and tragic turn of events, the report indicates that Pte Atim Agnes forcefully grabbed the AK-47 rifle from PC Ijobu Sylvia during the altercation.
She then discharged a bullet that struck Okiror in the chest, killing him instantly. The bullet continued its trajectory and hit teacher Majja Bernard, who was standing or seated nearby.
The report further notes that Okiror’s body was found half-dressed, wearing only trousers and no shirt, in the school compound. A single cartridge was recovered at the scene, confirming that one shot had been fired.
The gun used in the incident was later identified as AK-47 UG POL 56-5811520.35798, with its magazine found loaded with 29 rounds of ammunition remaining. The fatal shooting was reported at Ngora CPS at 11:03 am under SD Ref 25/18/11/2025.
The injured teacher was immediately rushed to Soroti Regional Referral Hospital for urgent medical attention. His condition is reported to be critical. Police statements confirm that two individuals were harmed in the episode: the student, who died instantly, and the teacher, who remains hospitalized.
The police have also verified that eyewitnesses saw Pte Atim Agnes seize the weapon from the police officer before firing the fatal shot, an act that has raised major questions about the conduct and emotional control of the security personnel involved. Further investigations revealed that Okiror had a troubled record at the school.
He had previously left the institution in October under accusations of stealing student property, only returning on the day the incident occurred.
The two officers involved in the shooting, PC Ijobu Sylvia and Pte Atim Agnes, are currently on the run, according to police. Efforts to apprehend them have been launched, though security sources indicate that both disappeared shortly after the incident was reported at the station.
The police say they have opened inquiries to establish why a UPDF soldier, who was not a police officer, handled the firearm during a civilian arrest process, and whether the proper arrest procedure was followed by the responding officers. They also want to establish what triggered the sudden escalation that led to the fatal discharge of the weapon, and the soldier and police constable fled the scene instead of securing it or reporting promptly.
The police report also indicates that the firearm was officially booked out by PC Ijobu Sylvia as per established procedure, raising questions about how and why Pte Atim was able to access the weapon during the scuffle.
The shooting has sparked widespread anger within Ngora and the greater Teso sub-region. Parents, teachers, and activists have condemned the use of lethal force in handling school-related disciplinary cases.
Many have demanded immediate and transparent investigations from both the Uganda Police Force (UPF) and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF). “This kind of indiscipline from armed personnel is unacceptable. Children must never be handled with guns. We want justice for the boy and safety for our children in schools.”
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