By Taban Henry
A chief in Western Equatoria State is fighting for his life after being shot by some kidnappers on Saturday.
This came after the chief was abducted by some men believed to have come from Lirongu area.
Speaking to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper on telephone Col. Jimmy Richard Eliza who is the brother to the chief revealed that the chief was shot after he was kidnapped together with his younger brother whom he said is still under the custody of the kidnappers.
“Yesterday at around 10-11 some armed men came from Lirongu and arrested my brother Michael Abas, after the arrest they were taken to Lirongu reaching in the area called NangNagi. He was trying to escape thereafter he was shot,” Richard said.
He added that the chief was shot with a lot of bullets after he was left thinking that he was dead but the time he fell down he woke up and ran and reached a certain home and he was taken immediately, from there he called the wife that he was shot after that immediately I was called.
“The chief was taken with my small brother Godwill Kumboyo who is still there up to now, in the morning I ordered for him to be sent to Juba and according to information on the ground it was the governor who sent the people to arrest him without the reason may be it will come later,” he added.
Richard stated that the chief’s life is somehow because he was taken for surgery, they were four people.
“What is happening now in Western Equatoria was not there before; we are urging our government both the SPLM-IG and SPLA-IO to address this issue. It is not the first time even me as I am talking to you when I went to Yambio last month the governor accused me of rebelling I didn’t know the reason behind his accusation and I went from here with my dispatch order for my treatment,” he stated.
He stressed that he went hiding after being accused by the state governor for rebelling citing that he talked to UNMISS and CTSAMVM who then later brought him to Juba for such activities. “Now our youth are running out from Western Equatoria to Juba as we know some months back there was a lot of insecurity in Tombura and this is the same situation taking place in Tombura,” he explained.