Three people have been arrested in connection with the inadvertent killing of a pregnant woman last week in Luanyaker Town of Gogrial East County in Warrap State.
The woman identified as Arek Agoth was killed by a stray bullet following clashes between market law enforcement agents and alleged lawbreakers.
According to the director of police in Luanyaker, Captain Bak Anei, the fight broke out when one soldier disregarded the fixed market price for grain and decided to sell his at a higher price.
Bak said the woman was shot dead by a stray bullet when criminals overpowered the law enforcement agents who fired their weapons in self-defense.
“There were orders here for the prices of grain. For people who bring them from the village, a Molua (5 Kilograms) should be SSP 500 and for those who buy and sell in the market the price should SSP 700,” Bak said. “One person from outside brought a Molua and sold it at SSP 700 but he was stopped. One soldier took the Molua saying it belonged to him and he has the right to sell it at any price he wants.”
According to Captain Bak, the market enforcement agents followed the soldier who then started fighting the former.
“The soldier chased them (market enforcement agents) back and they all started shooting. A stray bullet then hit and killed the woman. The people arrested and now in prison are three. The person who went with the molua, the person who killed the woman, and the person who went to arrest the person who left with molua. These three are now under investigation,” Bak said.
The police officer blamed locals for being curious and for always running towards where there are problems. He called on them to refrain from such tendencies.
The executive director of the former Apuk County, Mariak Ngot, confirmed the fighting, killing of the woman and eventual arrest of the suspects.
Mariak Ngot said in addition to the arrest of the perpetrators, 51 heads of cattle have been taken from the main suspects and will be used in blood compensation.
Ngot called on relatives of the deceased woman to allow the law to take its course while warning residents to refrain from criminal behavior.