Oyam Police Commander urges youth to embrace farming over job scams

9 June 2026, 11:25 pm

By Eman Yonah Oruk

The District Police Commander of Oyam, SP Francis Okongo, has urged young people in Oyam District to make better use of available land for farming instead of pursuing fraudulent job opportunities that often end in hardship.

Speaking to our reporter on Tuesday afternoon, SP Okongo made the remarks after receiving 21 youths at Oyam Central Police Station. The group had been rescued from Hoima City after being lured with false job offers in Kiboga forest plantations. When conditions deteriorated, they walked to Hoima City, where they were eventually rescued.

SP Okongo cautioned young people against falling victim to deceitful promises of “lucrative jobs” without proper verification. He emphasised that farming in Oyam and the wider Lango sub-region offers a safer and more sustainable source of livelihood.

He also commended Hon. Patrick Ogwang Obura, the Oyam South Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Lango Parliamentary Group, for providing accommodation, food, and transport support to the stranded youths in Hoima.

Stephen Agip, 18, from Aleka Sub-county in Oyam North, recounted his ordeal, saying he suffered greatly during the two weeks in Kiboga. He said they survived on soup with very little food, bathed only once, and were forced to sleep in makeshift shelters while locals lived comfortably in houses. He described the experience as one of segregation and hardship.

Ivan Okello, 20, a Senior Four leaver from Dokolo District, said he and others were forced to work from morning until sunset under the so-called China International Forestry Company. He advised fellow youths to avoid such exploitative jobs and instead return to farming, adding that he also plans to resume cultivation. Okello further revealed that recruitment centres for these fake jobs exist in Abok and Aleka in Oyam District, as well as in Kole and Agwata in Dokolo District. He called on leaders to remain vigilant and dismantle these centres in order to protect young people.

Denish Omara, 21, from Okwerodot Sub-county in Kole North, said he feared for his life after realising the promises were false. He explained that they were fed only soup, sometimes with just three beans, and had no beds to sleep on.