By Mike Rwothomio
Adjumani, Uganda: The Territorial Police in the North West Nile region are holding in custody 10 students of Komboni Comprehensive Secondary School who were arrested on Friday following a violent strike that resulted in extensive destruction of school property on Thursday evening.
According to regional police spokesperson SP Collins Asea, the incident occurred on November 14, 2025, at around 7:00 PM, when Adjumani Police Station received reports that students had staged a riot the previous evening inside the school premises located within Adjumani Town Council.
“The students engaged in damaging school property, including breaking the school wall fence,” SP Asea said, adding that a team of officers from the Field Force Unit (FFU) responded immediately.
“However, by the time security forces arrived, the students had fled, leaving behind a trail of damage, vandalised offices, a destroyed section of the perimeter wall, and a burned school generator,” he added.
SP Asea said this prompted the security teams, working jointly with the UPDF, to launch a search operation through neighbouring villages where the fleeing students had scattered, and as a result, 10 suspects were apprehended and are now under police custody.
“They are currently detained at Adjumani Central Police Station, facing charges of malicious damage to property under case reference ADJ CRB.678/2025,” he said.
Strike Linked to Phone Crackdown
The school’s head teacher, Yeka George, a 55-year-old resident of Mgrere Cell in Central Ward, attributed the chaos to a recent disciplinary action in which school authorities confiscated mobile phones from students who had violated school rules.
He said the crackdown angered a section of learners who later mobilised and staged the violent strike.
Police and military forces have now secured the school to prevent further unrest. Detectives visited the crime scene and have opened a full investigation to establish the instigators and exact motive behind the riot.
SP Asea reassured the public that order has been restored: “We will maintain security at the school and provide updates as investigations progress.”
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