URA Officers Shoot One Dead During Operation to Arrest Smugglers
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By Skika Reporter.
NAMUTUMBA — Shock and grief have engulfed residents of Igulamubiri Village, Buwaga Parish, Bulange Sub County in Namutumba District following a fatal shooting during a late-night anti-smuggling operation conducted by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
Ashraf Muyinda was shot dead, while Abdallah Ntoogo sustained injuries when officers attached to URA’s Anti-Smuggling Unit carried out an operation targeting suspected smugglers in the area.
According to local residents, URA officers reportedly surrounded the village at night, stating they were tracking down individuals suspected of smuggling goods using a vehicle whose registration number was not immediately established.
However, villagers initially mistook the officers for pursuing thieves who had allegedly been troubling the community.
Believing they were assisting in apprehending criminals, residents joined the search effort, drumming to alert others and waking those who had already retired for the night.
The joint efforts reportedly led to the arrest of some suspects. However, tensions escalated when a section of residents attempted to take the law into their own hands, demanding instant mob justice.
In a bid to disperse the increasingly hostile crowd, URA officers allegedly fired bullets into the air.
Amid the chaos, Muyinda was fatally shot, while Ntoogo was injured. It remains unclear whether the deceased was struck by a stray bullet or directly targeted during the confrontation.
It was only after the shooting that residents reportedly realized the officers were conducting an anti-smuggling operation rather than pursuing thieves.
The LC3 Chairperson of Bulange Sub County, Wandera Musolin, condemned what he described as high-handedness by URA officers during the operation, calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.
Namutumba Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Aggrey Frederick, confirmed the incident on Wednesday morning. He stated that police later transported Muyinda’s body to Namutumba Hospital morgue as investigations into the matter continue.
By press time, police had not yet issued a detailed statement regarding the incident.
