Arua City, Uganda: A 20-year-old boda boda rider has been lynched by an angry mob in Arua City over suspected bag snatching, in a fresh incident highlighting persistent mob justice cases in Uganda.
The victim, identified as Anguandia Iddi Ogosi, a resident of Abia Cell in Pangisa Ward, was attacked and killed on Wednesday morning at around 8:00am in Old Bus Park Cell, Bazaar Ward, Central Division.
According to police, the deceased was suspected of snatching a woman’s bag containing mobile phones and other valuables before attempting to flee.
Witnesses say he was intercepted by members of the public, who turned violent and beat him to death.
Police responded to the scene at about 8:20 am but found the victim already dead. Officers documented the scene, photographed the body, and conveyed it to Arua Regional Referral Hospital mortuary for postmortem examination.
The case has been registered under Arua City CBD CRB 287/2026.
West Nile Regional Police Spokesperson SSP Josephine Angucia confirmed the incident, saying no arrests had been made by press time, although intelligence teams had been deployed to identify those involved.
Angucia condemned the killing, warning that mob justice remains illegal and punishable under the law. “Mob justice is unlawful and barbaric. We urge the public to always hand over suspects to police instead of taking the law into their own hands,” she said, also calling on youth to pursue lawful livelihoods.
The incident adds to growing concern over mob violence across the country. According to the Uganda Police Annual Crime Report 2025, a total of 950 cases of murder by mob action were recorded nationwide, a 6.5% drop from 1,016 cases in 2024.
The report further indicates that most victims of mob justice are accused of theft or robbery-related offences, with the West Nile region alone recording 68 such cases in 2025.
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