Lakes state man arrested in connection to murder of brother-in-law

January 18, 2014 (RUMBEK) – Authorities in Lakes state’s Cueibet county said they had arrested a man who is a suspect in the killing of his brother-in-law.

The criminal investigation department (CID) confirmed that a man, believed to be about 30 years old, was found dead on a roadside in Ayenic village in the south-west of Cueibet county.

The circumstances leading to the incident, which occurred on Friday at about 7pm (local time), remain unclear.

An officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified the victim as Thijin Jul of Duony payam.

According to the officer, the suspect, identified as Gumwel Acinkoc Nguetjok of Mayath payam, attempted to escape but police had apprehended him and taken him into custody.

The killing sparked fears in Cueibet county of a possible attack revenge, with authorities deploying a heavy police presence to quell rising insecurity in the south-west part of the county on Friday.

In a separate incident in Rumbek Central county on Thursday, an unknown gunman is reported to have killed a man named as Majur Makoi of the Dhiei section from Rumbek East county.

Despite an extensive search, police say they have been stonewalled by the public and have so far been unable to apprehend a suspect in the case.

“[The] public are not cooperating with us – they refuse to give us information. This is a bad signal from our public refusing to cooperate with police”, a source told Sudan Tribune.

Lakes state communities have witnessed harsh security reforms since January 2013 when elected governor Chol Tong Mayay was removed by presidential decree and replaced with military caretaker governor Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol.

Dhuol has established a secretive military prison in Langcok where reports of cruel and inhuman treatment of detainees has surfaced.

Communities in Lakes states have complained of arbitrary arrests, with detainees sometimes held indefinitely without charge or trial.

(ST)