Kole, Uganda: Police in Northern Uganda’s Kole District have launched investigations into the sudden death of a 42-year-old suspect who died shortly after being rushed to Lira Regional Referral Hospital while in custody.
The deceased has been identified as Ogwang Tonny, a resident of Lwala Trading Centre in Ayer Sub-county, who had been detained since March 5, 2026, on allegations of assaulting his wife.
The North Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson, Patrick Jimmy Okema, confirmed the incident on Monday, saying the suspect developed health complications while still under police custody.
“Police in Kole are investigating the sudden death of a suspect who died shortly after being rushed to Lira Regional Referral Hospital on Sunday morning,” Okema said.
According to the police spokesperson, Ogwang had earlier been arrested over a domestic violence complaint involving his spouse.
“The deceased, identified as Ogwang Tonny, 42, a resident of Lwala Trading Centre in Ayer Sub-county, had been arrested on March 5 on allegations of assault involving his wife,” Okema explained.
Police said the suspect’s condition reportedly deteriorated while in detention, prompting officers to rush him to the hospital for medical treatment.
“When his condition worsened, he was taken to Lira Regional Referral Hospital for treatment, but unfortunately, he died shortly after arrival,” Okema added.
Authorities have since commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident, with a postmortem examination expected to establish the exact cause of death.
“We have commenced investigations and a postmortem examination will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death,” Okema said, noting that police are following standard procedures in handling the case.
Local leaders in the area expressed shock following the news of the suspect’s sudden death. The LC1 Chairperson of Abeli Cell in Abari Parish said residents were surprised by the development and are awaiting the outcome of investigations.
“As a community, we were shocked to learn about the sudden death of Ogwang Tonny. We appeal to police to conduct thorough investigations so that the family and the public can understand what exactly happened,” the local leader said.
He added that local leaders are cooperating with authorities as the investigations continue. “We call for calm among residents as the authorities handle the matter. It is important that the truth about the circumstances of his death comes out,” he said.
Police said the body has been taken for postmortem examination at Lira Regional Referral Hospital as investigations continue.
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