A police officer, 4 other staff members and two pupils of Jozan Nursery and Primary School have been charged with the murder of 5-year-old pupil Joan Faith Apio.
The Soroti Grade One Magistrate, His Worship Kibirige Apollo Kasujja, remanded the accused to various prisons within the Teso region.
The individuals charged include Suzan Vivian Ariokot Okedi, 38, the co-director of the school and wife to Joseph Okedi, 43; James Odoket, 32, the head teacher; and John Bosco Obotol, 24, a police officer and brother to Joseph Okedi.
Also implicated are school cook Valentine Opio, 27, and two juveniles whose identities have been withheld.
They face charges of murder under section 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act.
The case is set for mention on March 6, 2025.
The tragic events unfolded on February 5, 2025, when Apio’s lifeless body was discovered in a staff latrine at the school, her throat having been slit.
This horrifying discovery came just two days after she and her twin sister had been enrolled in the school’s boarding section.
The matron, Osula Adong, raised the alarm after noticing Apio’s absence, leading to the grim find.
The incident prompted authorities to close and seal off the school as investigations commenced.
East Kyoga Regional Police Commander, Damalie Nachuha, confirmed the arrests and emphasized the commitment to a thorough investigation.
“We are diligently gathering evidence to ensure justice is served. The public should remain calm as we handle this matter with the seriousness it deserves,” Nachuha stated.
Further investigations revealed that Jozan Nursery and Primary School had been operating an illegal boarding section since 2019.
Licensed as a mixed-day school, the institution was not authorized to offer boarding facilities, raising concerns about regulatory oversight and student safety.
The community’s grief was palpable during Apio’s burial on February 17, 2025, in Ateuso, Kapelebyong District.
The incident has ignited discussions about the safety of children in educational institutions and the necessity for stringent regulations to prevent such tragedies in the future.
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Let Justice work where it’s due
Those people should be put in life imprisonment or in given death sentence careless
An eye for an eye
People involved in the tragic early death of that girl should face Moses’s Law…less is not equal justice ⚖️
Let justice prevail
The murderer should have a life imprisonment n it should be a lesson to those schools having child sacrifice
Thanks always
Let it be a tit for tat game. It’s so painful and the same should be done to them.