Patrick Okot

Case record: Patrick Okot Odoch

Timeline

• March 5, 2013 — Gunmen attacked Mbuya barracks to steal arms.
• February 4, 2013 — Simon Peter Otenyan killed two colleagues at Bombo barracks.
• March 6, 2013 — Patrick Okot Odoch raided the home of Sgt. Onesmus Adule and attempted to rape his 13-year-old daughter, Grace Candiru.
• March 7, 2013 — Grace Chandiru’s parents reported the incident to police.
• March 8, 2013 — Patrick Okot Odoch entered a bar, and later the night of the 8th he entered the bar and locked the doors before opening them again and leaving, with the next shooting occurring after he arrived.
• March 9, 2013 — Patrick Okot Odoch opened fire at a bar in Bombo, killing ten people and wounding at least two others, then fled and later killed another person and robbed a civilian.
• March 10, 2013 — The search resulted in finding Patrick Okot Odoch’s uniform.
• March 14, 2013 — The search resulted in recovering the rifle used in the shooting near a factory in Nakatonya Village in Nyimbwa Sub-county; it was still loaded with three rounds.
• March 18 to March 19, 2013 — Patrick Okot Odoch was arrested at Abere Trading Centre in Ngai Sub-county in Oyam District and brought to the army barracks in Lira.
• April 17, 2013 — Patrick Okot Odoch remained in remand at Makindye Military Prison until this date.
• April 22, 2013 — Preliminary hearings began at Bombo Town Health Centre.
• June 4, 2013 — He was sentenced to 90 years in prison.

Background

Patrick Okot Odoch was a UPDF private attached to Bombo Barracks. Gunmen attacked Mbuya barracks on March 5, 2013, to steal arms. He had previously been arrested for consuming bhang. Simon Peter Otenyan killed two colleagues at Bombo barracks on February 4.

On the night of March 6, Patrick Okot Odoch wanted to rape Grace Chandiru, a 14-year-old daughter of Sgt Onesmus Odule and his wife Florence. He fled when she raised alarm. The girl’s parents reported the incident to police on March 7. Patrick Okot Odoch promised revenge.

The offence

Attempted rape and motive

On March 6, 2013, Patrick Okot Odoch raided the home of Sgt. Onesmus Adule where he attempted to rape his 13-year-old daughter, Grace Candiru. A fight with Adule at the bar operated by the wife of the former occurred before the home raid.

During the trial, prosecution witness Florence Ajang testified that the accused was due to go on trial for attempting to rape Grace Candiru, and the prosecution indicated the killings were connected to that case.

Shooting at the bar in Bombo

On March 9 at 12:12am, Patrick Okot Odoch left his post on duty at the 23rd Air Defence Regiment armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and 30 rounds of ammunition. He arrived at Yumbe boys’ bar in Pakele.

Upon entering the bar, he opened fire on the people present. The shooting killed Sgt. Onesmus Odule, Florence (wife of Sgt. Onesmus Odule), and Amina Aseru, the bar owner, as well as four other soldiers and two civilians, while two persons were wounded.

Patrick Okot Odoch then left the bar and went toward Gogonya, 1.5km away from the bar, where he killed another person before fleeing. He also robbed Halima Lukiya, stealing her hand bag, a mobile phone, and USh 2,000.

Nine victims died on the spot, while David Komakech died one hour later from excessive loss of blood. Twenty-three spent rounds were recovered by police from the crime scene.

Victims and those wounded

The victims included:

• Sgt. Onesmus Odule
• Florence Akullu, wife of Onesmus Odule
• Sarah Akole
• Amina Aseru, the bar owner
• Pte. Teddy Namatovu
• Sgt. Joel Obote
• Wilber Odiba
• Cpl. Isaac Osere
• David Komakech
• Warrant Officer Francis Musana

Wounded included:

• Joyce Asiyo, 44
• Ismail Akbar, 14, son of Amina Aseru

Sgt. Francis Ogugu reportedly was also injured.

Related alleged acts described at trial

The prosecution alleged that Patrick Okot Odoch killed victims to destroy evidence in a case of attempted rape brought against him. On the day of the bar shooting, the prosecution alleged he gunned down Sgt. Onesmus Adule, Cpl. Isaac Osele, Sgt. Joel Obote, Warrant officer II Francis Musana, Pte. Teddy Namatovu, Amina Asolo, Wilfred Oriba, Sarah Akol and Florence Akulu at a local bar in Mpakawero village.

The prosecution also alleged he attempted to murder Francis Ogugu, Grace Asiyo and Akibalu Isule on the same day. It was alleged that as he fled, he killed a security guard, David Oketcho, before robbing Lukia Atimango and Norah Alanya of sh2,000 and a mobile. It was also alleged that he proceeded to the home of Adule where he shot through the house three times, and then shot into a nearby house belonging to Pte. David Barugala, whom he accused of intervening when he attempted to rape Candiru. The home of the late Adule was described as a few meters away from the bar where he was killed with his wife along seven others within Bombo barracks.

Investigation

After the shooting, security measures were tightened. All army deserters in the area were ordered to leave or risk arrest. A night curfew was imposed, forcing businesses to close at 10pm and limiting movement from 11pm onward. Joint forces of police and army searched for Patrick Okot Odoch and laid traps to capture him.

The search found Patrick Okot Odoch’s uniform on March 10 and recovered the rifle used in the shooting on March 14 near a factory in Nakatonya Village in Nyimbwa Sub-county; the rifle was still loaded with three rounds.

Investigators also tracked Patrick Okot Odoch’s mobile phone after he called colleagues asking for financial help.

A ballistic expert, Lt. Odongkara Geoffrey, recovered Patrick Okot Odoch’s AK-47 at Nyimbwa, outside Bombo town two days after the incident. The witness said the gun had been used to fire bullets in the past few days and contained two unused bullets.

OC CID, Bombo police station Constantine Tarasis testified that police tapped into Patrick Okot Odoch’s phone calls that revealed his exact location days after the incident.

Arrest

Patrick Okot Odoch was arrested on the night from March 18 to March 19 at Abere Trading Centre in Ngai Sub-county in Oyam District. He was brought to the army barracks in Lira and charged with murder, attempted murder, misuse of a firearm, aggravated robbery, and failing to protect war materials. He was then transferred back to Bombo where he was held to be court-martialed in a public trial.

During the operation, he tried to run but was chased by soldiers and arrested, transported to Lira barracks under tight security. Capt. Muhangi Byron commanded the operation. George Musinguzi, 5th division spokesperson, said they received a tip-off from Ngai Gomolola internal security officer. Deputy Police spokesperson Vincent Ssekate said he was found in Abere trading centre, Aramita parish, Ngai subcounty.

Trial

Court and chairperson

Patrick Okot Odoch was held for a court-martial and a public trial. The General Court Martial chaired by Brig. Fred Tolit heard the matter at Mpakawero village in Bombo Town Council in Luwero district, and it also sat at Bombo Health Centre III.

Charges and counts described

After denying all charges, Patrick Okot Odoch was put in remand at Makindye Military Prison until April 17. Preliminary hearings began on April 22 at Bombo Town Health Centre.

He was described as facing:

• Ten counts of murder
• Three counts of attempted murder
• One count of failure to protect war materials
• Another count of aggrevated robbery

In another description of the charges before the court-martialed trial, he was described as being charged with murder, attempted murder, misuse of a firearm, aggravated robbery, and failing to protect war materials.

Prosecution witnesses and testimony

Florence Ajang testified at Bombo Health Center III. She testified that on March 6, 2013, Patrick Okot Odoch raided the home of Sgt. Onesmus Adule where he attempted to rape Grace Chandiru, described as 13 years old in the testimony.

The prosecution led by Capt. Fredrick Kangwamu and Lt. Gerald Bamwitirebye alleged the bar killings and other killings and attempted murder acts on March 8, 2013.

Lt. Samuel Kakaire, orderly officer that night, testified that he assigned guard duty to Patrick Okot Odoch on the day but after hearing gunshots, found that Okot was nowhere to be seen and had to find a replacement.

Joyce Asilo, an employee of Mama Jackie’s bar, testified that a uniformed Patrick Okot Odoch entered the bar holding a gun, drew it at Sgt. Adule, and shot Adule before opening fire on others in the bar, injuring her left leg. She said she lay among the dead until morning when police picked her and a young boy as they took the bodies to Bombo Heath Centre.

Friday Mudaawo testified that he was called in to take over Patrick Okot Odoch’s guarding post after Okot disappeared after the shootings.

Godfrey Nshekanabo, Okot’s neighbour, testified that Patrick Okot Odoch returned home in bad mood on the night of March 8 and said he had been falsely accused of molesting Sgt. Adule’s daughter and was going to take revenge. Nshekanabo testified that Patrick Okot Odoch said he was an ex-LRA rebel who could cause trouble, and that they later heard gunshots and someone opened Okot’s door and took out household property, which they suspected was Okot fleeing.

A doctor told the court that Patrick Okot Odoch was in a perfect state of mental health on the day of the killings, and that he was not under the influence.

Dr. Emmanuel Niwamanya examined Patrick Okot Odoch after his arrest in Oyam district, and testified that he was found in good mental and physical condition at the time when ten people were shot dead.

Dr. Sam Kalungi, a senior pathologist in forensic medicine at Mulago National Referral Hospital, performed the post mortem on the 10 bodies. Dr. Kalungi testified that the victims died of bullet wounds and that the suspect fired multiple bullets targeting vital organs like the intestines and lungs, leaving slim chances of survival.

Dr. Stanley Mawombe, an employee of Bombo General military hospital, received the survivors on the night of the killings, including Joyce Asiyo, Sgt. Francis Ogugu and a young boy Akabaru Zule, and testified to their bullet wounds.

A14-year-old girl, Grace Chandiru, testified and recounted that on the 6th day of march 2013, Patrick Okot Odoch bumped into their house at around 9 pm, tried to defile her by force, she made an alarm, two neighbours rescued her, and Okot fled into the darkness. She testified that she reported the matter to her parents, who reported the case to a nearby police post. She was daughter to sgt. Onesmus Adule and Mama Jackie the owner of the bar where the shootings happened. She testified with a request from the chairman not to be shown on camera.

Lt. Odongkara Geoffrey testified as a ballistic expert and described the recovery of Okot’s AK-47 at Nyimbwa and its use and ammunition status.

Defence and state prosecution summary points

Both the defence and state prosecution told the court that the accused was a first offender with a clean service record except for the offences for which he was appearing before court.

The court was said to make wider consultations regarding international humanitarian laws which are against the death penalty.

Sentencing

On June 4, 2013, the General Court Martial sentenced Patrick Okot Odoch to 90 years in prison.

He received:

• A 65-year jail term for the murder of 10 people, including five fellow soldiers, in a bar in Bombo Town
• A 25-year jail term for failure to protect war materials
• A 15-year jail term for attempted murder
• A 20-year jail term for attempted robbery

The two murder and failure to protect war materials components were described as running independently, while the 90-year sentence reflected the court’s concurrent terms for the other sentences.

The public reaction in Bombo Town included statements from:

• Ms Aisha Kadala, Bombo Town Council Chairperson, welcoming the sentence as deterrent
• Mustafa Onegi, who lost his brother David Okecha, saying the sentence was very unfair and that the death penalty would have healed some of the relatives’ wounds
• Mustafa Kamis Kenyi, 70, saying the sentence was fair and an equivalent of a death penalty

Fred Tolit, court martial chairman, stated that the court made wider consultations in regard to international humanitarian laws which are against the death penalty.

After the sentence, Patrick Okot Odoch remained calm, showed no emotion, and waved at the public outside court.

Appeals

No appeal information was included.

Outcome

Patrick Okot Odoch was sentenced to 90 years in prison on June 4, 2013.

Aftermath

After the shooting, the army offered every family of the victims 2,150,000 million shillings as condolences and for burial arrangements, including coffins and transportation of the dead to their ancestral homes.

The bodies of victims were returned to Bombo military barracks after postmortem examinations ahead of being claimed by relatives for burial.