GULU, Uganda — Police in northern Uganda have arrested two suspects in connection with the killing of a 23-year-old Gulu University student whose body was discovered by the roadside earlier this month.
The suspects, identified as Omara Gerald, alias Torach, and Rom Ambrose, alias Geng, are both 18 and residents of Agwee Cell, Agwee Ward, in Pece-Laroo Division, Gulu City.
According to a statement issued by the Uganda Police Force on Saturday, October 17, the arrests followed investigations by officers from Gulu Central Police Station in the Aswa West Region, working alongside other security agencies.
The victim, Ocen John Bosco Ngire, was allegedly killed on the night of October 10, 2026. His body was later found by the roadside in Agwee Cell.
Police identified Ngire as a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Education degree, majoring in Literature, at Gulu University.
Police said the two suspects provided accounts of how the alleged killing occurred and led investigators to a location believed to be the scene of the crime.
Investigators recovered several items considered relevant to the inquiry, including a pair of shoes believed to have belonged to Ngire and a hammer suspected of having been used in the attack.
The recovered items are expected to form part of the evidence examined as detectives work to establish the circumstances surrounding the student’s death.
Police said investigations were continuing to gather additional evidence and establish the full sequence of events.
The authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the killing in the statement.
Although police say the suspects provided accounts of the alleged incident, their arrest does not establish criminal responsibility. The allegations remain subject to investigation and the judicial process.
Ngire’s death has renewed concern about the safety of students living and travelling around Gulu University’s main campus in Laroo-Pece Division.
The university community had raised security concerns following the killing, with university officials and local security agencies holding meetings to discuss measures to improve student safety.
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On October 16, Gulu University reported that its management, student representatives, local leaders and security agencies had convened a general security assembly to discuss crime prevention and strengthen cooperation around the campus and surrounding communities.
The university has faced previous concerns over attacks on members of its community. In May 2026, Christopher Nyeko, a laboratory technician at the university’s health centre, was killed near the campus, according to local reporting.
The latest arrests mark a development in the investigation into Ngire’s death. Police say they will continue gathering evidence before the case proceeds through the criminal justice system.
The suspects remain innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of law.
