Adjumani serial phone thief arrested 

Police in Adjumani has apprehended a suspected serial mobile phone thief, Stephen Weliga. 

He is believed to be behind the recent surge in smartphone thefts across Adjumani and Obongi districts. Weliga was arrested from Paridi village, Adjumani town council, with the assistance of local council officials on Monday.

Kilo Atoba, LC I chairperson of Paridi village, reported that authorities discovered six stolen smartphones valued at approximately Shs 2 million in Weliga’s hideout, along with other items such as flat-screen TVs. 

Atoba stated that Weliga has been terrorizing residents in both the Adjumani and Obongi districts over the past four months.

Incidents of theft have been rampant in Adjumani district since the beginning of the year, with areas such as Adjumani town council, Arinyapi, Dzaipi, Pakele, Ofua, and Pachara sub-counties being the most affected. Local authorities in these areas report an average of 3-4 theft cases weekly.  

According to the annual police crime report for 2023, there were a total of 7,407 reported cases of mobile phone theft in 2023, compared to 6,936 cases in 2022, marking a 6.8 per cent increase. Most of these thefts occur through snatching from unsuspecting members of the public, as highlighted in the report.