Yambio police recover over SSP4 million from suspected thieves
A police officer in Yambio, Western Equatoria State, recovered at least SSP4.7 million from suspected thieves.
On Tuesday, a group of thieves broke into one of the shops in the Yambio market and escaped with six SSP6 million. The incident angered some of the traders, prompting them to close their shops in protest of the rampant insecurity.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Eddy Ukele Gumasi, said that the police arrested the suspects and recovered some part of the stolen money, adding that the investigation is ongoing to recover the rest of it.
“Some foreign traders did not [open] their shops after the incident, and we don’t know the reason now; but the police and municipality conducted a meeting with them so that they could open their shops,” Ukele said.
He added, “The government has deployed police in all the markets in Yambio town, and they are doing their work of patrol on a daily basis.”
The minister revealed that the traders should have opened their shops as the investigation is ongoing because people are in need of goods.
He called on the traders to open their shops to allow the police to find clues about the suspects in the robbery.
Prices
He said the prices of some goods coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda have remained the same, just like in other big towns like Juba and other states across the country.
He said it was very difficult for the traders in Western Equatoria State to get dollars, and this forced them to increase the prices of goods.
“The good thing about our state is that people are cultivating the prices of food commodities [and] they are] very cheap compared to Juba where everybody depends on the food coming from outside,” Ukele said.
According to Western Equatoria State (WES) State Minister of Roads and Bridges, Ann Tuna Richard, the process for the construction of the Juba-Mundri-Maridi, Yambio-Tombura-Wau highway is underway. She said the highway would improve the economy of the country and the state in particular through revenue generated from businesses, adding that the road would be busy.
She revealed that the road will reduce the prices in the market because commodities will not be delayed on the way and farming communities will be able to transport their produce to the outside markets.
She praised the state as a potential food basket in the country once the highway is constructed. She based this on the logic that it would feed Juba and the rest of the states rather than import mere tomatoes and potatoes.
