Masindi pupils storm police station protesting arrest of teacher, colleagues
The playground is claimed by the school and Bitature, and the matter is still before Masindi High Court.
Masindi: Pupils of Biizi Primary School in Nyangahya division, Masindi district, stormed the Masindi police station on Friday following the arrest of their teacher and fellow pupils.
The unidentified teacher was arrested alongside two pupils by the police after the pupils allegedly stoned a daughter to Godfrey Bitature, a neighbor of the school, following a disagreement on Monday after the pupils had tried to chase Bitature’s cows from the school’s playground where they were grazing.
The playground is claimed by the school and Bitature, and the matter is still before Masindi High Court.
Godwin Abigaba, a resident of Biizi who had followed up on the matter at Masindi police station, told this website that after being stoned, Bitature’s daughter reported the matter to the police, who arrested the teacher and the pupils on Friday afternoon and took them to Masindi police station.
This prompted the pupils to storm the police station, protesting the arrests and demanding their release.
The Member of Parliament for Masindi municipality, Joab Businge, intervened, leading to the release of the suspects from police cells on bond.
Consolate Birungi, Biizi cell LC1 chairperson, said police have ordered the two parties to go back to the station on Monday next week to amicably resolve the matter.
We could not get a comment from the police on the matter at the time of publishing this story.
The school has been in a long-standing dispute with Bitature over the playground that the school claims was donated to it by Bitature’s grandfather, a claim Bitature disputes.
This prompted the school’s management committee to take the matter to the Masindi Magistrate Court, which ruled in favor of Bitature.
Unsatisfied by the court’s ruling, the school appealed in Masindi High Court, and the matter is still being heard.
Last year, the court issued an order retraining Bitature from doing anything on the land until the case is determined.
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