Police in Serere District are holding a primary school teacher as investigations intensify into the suspected murder of a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) soldier whose body was discovered hanging from a mango tree within a school compound.
The suspect, identified as Mercy Iyogil, a teacher at Olio Primary School, is being questioned to help investigators reconstruct the events leading to the death of the soldier, Michael Ojakol, also known by the alias Ojakoro.
According to the South Kyoga Regional Police spokesperson, ASP Stephen Mukombe of the Uganda Police Force, the deceased soldier was attached to the UPDF’s 150 Artillery Brigade and had been serving in the Democratic Republic of Congo before proceeding on leave to his home in Agoltom village, Serere District.
Police say Ojakol was last seen alive after a domestic dispute involving his girlfriend, Iyogil, on the evening of June 2, 2026. The disagreement, which reportedly stemmed from trust issues in their relationship, was later mediated at the head teacher’s office at Olio Primary School.
During the meeting, the matter was reportedly resolved, and Iyogil allegedly gave the soldier UGX 100,000 to assist him in returning to his duty station.
Investigators believe Ojakol left the school shortly after the meeting, but his body was later found the following day, June 3, hanging from a mango tree inside the school gardens. The discovery was made by a local resident, prompting an immediate alert to Serere Central Police Station.
Police detectives who visited the scene documented evidence and later transferred the body to Serere Hospital for a postmortem examination.
Preliminary forensic findings, according to ASP Mukombe, suggest that the soldier may have been killed before his body was hanged to stage a suicide.
“The postmortem results indicate signs consistent with homicide, and the body showed indications of being tied prior to suspension,” Mukombe said.
Authorities have since detained Iyogil to assist with ongoing inquiries as investigators continue to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the death.
Police have urged anyone with relevant information to come forward and support the investigation as efforts to determine the motive and identify all those involved continue.
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