Twelve people suspected to be members of a cult have been arrested for allegedly disturbing the peace of a dead person in Alebtong District.
The suspects, who include three elderly women and nine men, were arrested on Thursday and are being held at Alebtong Central Police Station.
They are said to be members of Victory Church located in Agali Sub-County in Lira District. They were once Born-Again believers before they reportedly formed the “cult organisation” early last year.
The suspects claim they can bring a dead person back to life, according to police reports. However, their luck ran out on Thursday when they failed to make a dead girl, aged 6, resurrect.
The deceased, identified as Annet Auma, is a daughter of Joel Ojata of Dogangwec village, Alal parish in Aloi Sub-County in Alebtong.
The girl, whose father said she collapsed at school, passed away shortly after being hospitalised at Alebtong Health Centre IV on Wednesday.
The deceased was in middle class at Green Valley Nursery and Primary School located at Omio village in Alal parish.
Ojata said his daughter was in good health when she reported to the nearby school on Wednesday morning.
“My daughter left home in the morning and went to school, but after a short while, I got a call from the school that she had collapsed. Immediately I went to school and took her to Alebtong where she was pronounced dead,” he told Daily Monitor on phone on Thursday.
At around 7pm on Wednesday, the cult members stormed the family where several mourners had gathered to console the bereaved family and plan for the burial arrangements.
“They came aboard a pickup truck while singing, ‘Jesus, do not bring shame upon us’,” Mr Ojata narrated. “They then entered inside the house where the body of the child was laid and told us they had the powers to bring back the body to life. They ordered other mourners who were inside to move out except the deceased’s parents.
“They claimed that my daughter was struck by the evil spirits, but her life is still resting somewhere so we should allow them to embark on prayers to bring her life back to which we obliged.”
The deceased’s father said the group uncovered the dead child’s body and carried it on their laps interchangeably while praying on top of their voices and lifting the deceased body up.
“They then uncovered the body of my daughter and started praying while blowing into her nostrils, mouth, eyes, ears and the anus.
“They kept on praying and doing this throughout the night, but they could not bring back the body to life,” Mr Ojata said.
At 11pm (Wednesday), the mourners became suspicious and the local leaders asked them to identify themselves. None of them had a national identity card. When the driver sensed danger, he drove off but all the 18 people he had carried were later arrested by the mourners and surrendered to police on Thursday morning.
However, the police in Alebtong District released six children from the group. The rest are currently being held at Alebtong Central Police Station.
North Kyoga regional police spokesperson, Mr David Ongom Mudong, confirmed the arrest.
“After receiving the information, we went and arrested them. We are going to charge them for disturbing the peace of the dead.
“Just like we have the right to life, even the dead people have the right to rest in peace,” the police spokesperson said.