Ogom leaders urge early reporting of domestic violence after man’s death

9 November 2026, 12:25 pm

By Geoffrey Okwong

A 56-year-old man has died following an alleged domestic altercation with his wife in Ogom Sub-county, Pader District, prompting police and local leaders to appeal for calm and the peaceful resolution of family disputes.

The deceased, identified as Sira Lajul, reportedly died at around 5.00 p.m. on Friday, 6 November 2026, at his home in Olung Olet Village, Otong Parish.

His 49-year-old wife, Juliet Aciro, has been identified as the suspect in the incident.

According to preliminary accounts from the community, the couple had earlier attended a burial ceremony and reportedly stopped at a nearby trading centre for drinks before returning home, where a disagreement allegedly escalated into a physical fight.

Lajul was reportedly struck with an ox yoke during the altercation and later died.

Police visited the scene on Saturday, 7 November, when the deceased’s body was still lying inside his grass-thatched house, as members of the two clans gathered at the home.

Police later arrested Aciro and took her to Ogom Police Station before transferring her to Pader Central Police Station (CPS) as investigations continued. The case was registered under police reference number 15/06/11/2026.

Addressing mourners and community members, Pader District Police Commander, SP Jackson Bogere, said he received information about the incident at around 7.00 p.m. while travelling from Kampala to Pader and immediately directed his team to respond.

Bogere said police had a responsibility to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death but urged the family and community to cooperate with investigators.

He also appealed to clan leaders to work with the bereaved family to facilitate the post-mortem examination, proposing that medical personnel from Pajule Health Centre IV conduct it at the deceased’s home.

The DPC cautioned community members against retaliatory violence, particularly between the two families, saying the matter could be resolved without further bloodshed.

He further called on anyone with information about the couple’s family history and any previous disagreements to assist police with their investigations.

Bosco Amone, the LCIII Chairperson of Ogom Sub-county, described the incident as unfortunate and expressed concern over what he termed rampant cases of gender-based violence in the community.

Amone attributed some domestic conflicts to excessive alcohol consumption and food insecurity, saying both factors could contribute to instability within households.

He urged residents not to conceal domestic disputes but to report them to clan leaders, LC officials and Community Development Officers before they escalate.

Amone warned that failure to share information with local leaders could prevent timely intervention and lead to tragic consequences.

He also appealed to village chairpersons across Ogom Sub-county to strengthen community reporting structures by assigning responsibilities to committees handling women’s affairs, children’s affairs and other community concerns.

Festo Okot, a retired Detective Inspector of Police who now serves as LC1 Chairperson of Lacinga North in Otong Parish, also expressed concern about social challenges in the community, including excessive alcohol consumption, youth idleness and petty theft.

Okot said he had been engaging young people through community meetings and intended to work with the Community Liaison Officer and police to strengthen crime prevention efforts.

Meanwhile, SP Bogere urged local leaders to make better use of their village leadership structures, particularly committees responsible for women’s affairs, children’s affairs, youth and community security.

He said some family disputes that end up at police stations could initially be addressed through effective local leadership and early intervention.

Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding Lajul’s death are expected to establish exactly what happened and determine the responsibility of those involved.