At least two people were found killed along the road linking Torit to Imatong within Torit State on Tuesday, the police and local officials said.
The police spokesperson in Torit State, Lt Col. Mathew Ochan Jacob confirmed the incident and said the bodies remained at the crime scene until Thursday when an investigation team from the security forces collected them. “Nobody knew until July 18 when the Geria county commissioner came with information that someone died on the road. On Thursday, we sent a force of security investigators and when they reached there at around 9-10 am, they found two people dead,” Ochan told Radio Tamazuj Friday. “According to investigators’ security report, a motorcycle was found on the road loaded with ‘Bangi’ [opium]. The motorbike was coming from Imatong area and its owner, Selete Francis, became a victim after he appeared to have fallen into an ambush,” he added. The incident, Ochan said, involved a charcoal burner who was killed after he fell into the ambush the attackers had laid in the same area. “On the same day in the evening, one charcoal burner named Lobari Jacob might have arrived at the scene abruptly and found they [attackers] were still around. A shot fired missed him, but the attackers chased him for about 400 meters and killed him,” he said. Ochan said footmarks followed by investigators headed towards the east, but it was difficult to identify them. He further said police authorities will coordinate with neighboring counties to identify the criminals. Meanwhile, the Torit East County commissioner, Toby Majak Thomas told Radio Tamazuj by phone that he was unaware of the incident. “I did not get any information about that. Where did they follow the footmark and where did they end? I did not know,” he said. Majak, however, called for coordination to end criminal activities
