The leader of the Lopit community youth in Juba, Benjamin Lokudia, has been detained by the National Security Service (NSS) for allegedly intimidating and threatening the administrator of Imehejek, Oromo Mathew, in Torit in Eastern Equatoria State.
Lokudia’s threat reportedly followed a minor misunderstanding with the administrator over the submitted resolutions of the recently concluded peace dialogues between the Lopit communities and between the Ibahure and the Lohutok at the Imehejek Center.
The administrator said he was angered after the resolutions were forwarded without his signature or knowledge.
National Security law gives the security agency the right to arrest suspected criminals without a warrant.
Mathew Oromo, the Chief Administrator of Imehejek administrative area, told Radio Tamazuj Saturday that the youth leader has been arrested and is currently in National Security custody for investigation.
Oromo said the youth leader had threatened to slap him, while uttering bitter words after he questioned the submission of the resolutions.
“I met Lopit Youth leader in Juba and greeted him while he was on phone. He held my hand and when he finished his communication, he told me that he was looking for me,” Oromo said.
“He started interrogating why I was after him and I wondered how and told him that was not true. He then said he had not used my parents’ money to reconcile the people of Lopit. When he made to slap me, a National Security Service officer intervened and arrested him,” he added.
The Lopit community chairperson in Torit Ambros Oyet confirmed the arrest, adding that he had been threatened to remain silent over the issue.
Oyet said the arrested youth leader was currently in detention under NSS in Torit.
Naomi Hisiaha, the National Member of Parliament representing SPLM-IO, who hails from Lopit, condemned the arrest, saying NSS should protect rather than threaten or arrest the people.
She urged the NSS leadership to release Lokudia and allow the communities to address their grievances at a local level.
“First of all, we are extremely sorry for what happened because we are all one community. We hope such things can be addressed at the community level,” she said.
“NSS should deal with the national threats because there are channels for addressing the community level issues,” she added.