A catholic priest of the Diocese of Torit, Fr. Lucius Izama, who also doubles as the diocesan vocation director was last week attacked and robbed by gunmen on his way to Ibonni Parish in Lafon County, Eastern Equatoria State.
The priest was traveling to Ibonni with 15 seminarians and other passengers when they were waylaid. Their belongings, including bags, food items, and cash amounting to over 100,000 SSP were taken by the armed robbers.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj over the weekend in Torit town, Fr. Izama explained that the passengers asked him to speed up after realizing some armed men intended to shoot at them. He said they met a group of approximately 20 armed men who ordered all passengers out of the vehicle.
“I said okay if there is something, let us stop. Immediately one of the assailants who was very drunk came and beat me with the gun and I started bleeding. Another one came and wanted to shoot but I prevented, so he got a very big stick. He wanted to beat one of the boys. I was preventing him and then here he beat me on the head and from there he hit the boy also with the stick. Meanwhile, they already started taking things but I was telling the boys to keep quiet, so they took whatever they wanted,” said Fr. Izama.
“The government should empower the chiefs, village chiefs. Arms should be taken or have to be controlled. Then mostly these drinks, the drink called “Takaya” whatever, these strong drinks, because others are doing these things under the influence of drinks,” the cleric added.
Eastern Equatoria State police spokesperson, Maj. Justin Kleopus Takuru confirmed the attack and warned criminals against attacking priests. He said they have learned that one of the attackers is a common man in Torit town and says the government will arrest him.
“We have made an arrest warrant because there are people who can easily be identified. He is said to be moving around the town here. He is well known. We will also go through the chief because the chief is now also following and if we arrest one he will tell us the rest,” Maj. Takuru said.
The Lafon County commissioner, Magisto Ukach, condemned the robbing of a Priest and his passengers along the Hiyala-Imehejek road.
“As the county authority, I condemn this barbaric act in the strongest terms possible because we don’t encourage this kind of behavior. You know a public road is a public road, it has got no order on who exactly should use it. Anybody just coming on the way then you just stop him or her, you harass them, you just decide and do whatever you want, that is completely very bad,” Commissioner Ukach said.
He appealed to the communities, especially Lohutok and Ibahure, to refrain from confronting road users which he said hinders services from reaching certain areas.