NEWS: Manhunt for more than 200 naked and armed prisoners in Uganda

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:24 am

Ugandan forces are looking for greater than 200 naked inmates, who escaped in a jailbreak on Wednesday.

Many of the 219 escapees stripped off their yellow uniforms to avoid being identified as they fled into the desolate tract in Moroto, in northeastern Uganda.

“We noticed the prisoners all over the mountain when they had been jogging they had been very many so even us we were scared,” said eyewitness Kevin Nakiru.

The military stated they are “hardcore” criminals who were jailed for offenses relating to cattle theft.

The inmates also took off with countless arms. “These prisoners had truely broken into the armory and took 15 rifles, that is AK-47s,” said Deo Akiiki, a spokesman for the Uganda People’s Defence Force.

“These rifles are now not but recovered and in that pursuit they had been able to shoot in the direction of us and we shot toward them those were changing fire,” he said.

The navy stated At least three people, a soldier and two of the escapees, died in the firefight several others were also reportedly captured.

The site has been put beneath lockdown as the hunt continues. But it is dubious they will be capable to live on in the mountains for long.

“We do not assume they can live on first of all in those mountains – there is no food and the surroundings there is very opposed for all people to be capable to continue to be there for more than two days,” Akiiki said.

(AFP)