Alfred Onoria, a police officer assigned to Dokolo central police station, is reportedly evading authorities following accusations of facilitating the termination of a five-month-old pregnancy for his girlfriend, identified as Patrica Akullo.
Akullo, a 20-year-old resident of Apala village in Dokolo District, claims that Onoria urged her to undergo an abortion, expressing uncertainty about being the biological father. Recounting the incident from her hospital bed at Dokolo hospital, Akullo alleges that Onoria administered two abortion pills orally and two through her private parts, resulting in severe bleeding.
“When I told him I’m pregnant, he told me I should abort because he doesn’t believe that he is responsible for the pregnancy. He invited me to the barracks where he lives, then put two abortion pills in my tongue and two in my private parts. Blood started to flow, by the time I arrived at the facility here, he told me only to mind the pregnancy coming out, all shall be well. Me, I loved only him,” she painfully narrated.
Edmund Ogwang, the victim’s elder brother, condemned the act, revealing that Akullo disappeared from their family due to threats from the suspect. The Resident District Commissioner, Babra Akech, asserted that both individuals committed a crime, emphasizing that they should have been aware of the potential consequences of their actions.
The victim’s uncle, Wilbet Otim, expressed his futile attempts to save the child’s life and appealed to the police officer to handle the remains of the fetus.
North Kyoga regional police spokesperson Jimmy Patrick Okema stated that the investigation is ongoing, clarifying that the case involves a lady who underwent an abortion. Okema mentioned that if evidence suggests the police officer’s involvement, charges related to abortion and aiding abortion could be pursued.
The case has been registered at Dokolo central police station under SD 42/14/11/2023. Abortion is generally illegal in Uganda, permitted only in limited circumstances under the 1995 Constitution and the Penal Code Act of Uganda Cap 120. Various sections of the Penal Code Act prescribe criminal penalties for different aspects of abortion, with imprisonment terms ranging from 3 to 14 years.