LIRA CITY – A dramatic case of extortion has been uncovered at Lira City Central Police Station (CPS), where a man identified as Odongo Mande has been arrested for allegedly demanding 400,000 Shillings from a mother to secure the release of her son from police custody.
The suspect is accused of conning Ms. Auma Jolly Adekokwok, whose son, Daniel Ojok, is currently held at Lira CPS on charges of possession of narcotic substances (opium).
According to Ms. Auma’s testimony, Odongo initially demanded a total of 400,000 Shillings, falsely claiming he had the influence to get her son released. Desperate to free her child, Ms. Auma paid him 50,000 Shillings upfront. Later, she paid an additional 250,000 Shillings, bringing the total paid to 300,000 Shillings.
“Today was the last day Odongo was supposed to receive the remaining balance of 100,000 Shillings. But after I realized he is not a police officer, I reported the case to the real police, who then arrested him,” Ms. Auma told our reporter.
When confronted, Odongo Mande admitted to receiving the 50,000 Shillings but claimed he was only trying to help the mother. He controversially stated that he is willing to refund the full 300,000 Shillings that Ms. Auma is demanding.
However, the situation took a bizarre turn when Odongo first claimed he was helping out of goodwill, but later admitted, “I am not related to Ojok Daniel.”
This admission directly contradicted an official letter he authored on April 1, 2026, addressed to the Regional Officer of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in Lira. In the letter, which was stamped as received by the DPP’s office, Odongo Mande introduced himself as “the uncle of the accused person” and claimed that Daniel Ojok is a minor aged 16. He requested the DPP to allow the family to “discipline the accused person from home.”
The letter read in part: “I am Odongo Mande the uncle the accused person… The accused is a young boy aged 16years, we believe he joined bad groups… The purpose of this letter is to request your office to allow us to discipline the accused person from home.”
Police sources, who spoke anonymously due to the ongoing investigation, confirmed that the letter raised immediate red flags. The inconsistencies between Odongo’s claim of being a relative and his subsequent admission that he is not related made police highly suspicious of his activities.
Further police intelligence suggests that Odongo Mande may be part of a larger syndicate. According to sources at Lira CPS, Odongo Mande,along with two other suspects who are currently at large, have allegedly been operating a con ring around police stations—posing as police officers or influential intermediaries to extort money from vulnerable families of suspects.
“These people target desperate relatives, promise to ‘fix’ cases or secure releases, and vanish with the money. Odongo’s letter to the DPP was a tactic to give himself fake legitimacy,” a police officer disclosed.
At the time of filing this story, Odongo Mande remains in police custody at Lira City CPS, facing possible charges of impersonation, fraud, and extortion. Meanwhile, Ms. Auma Jolly is left waiting for the justice system to determine the fate of her son, Daniel Ojok, while demanding the return of her 300,000 Shillings.
