Police have warned the public against fuel siphoning, cautioning that the practice exposes perpetrators to deadly fires and explosions and can trigger mob violence. The warning follows the killing of a suspected fuel siphoner in Jinja District.
Police spokesperson ACP Kituuma Rusoke said investigations were underway into a mob attack on Hussein Rashid, a suspected fuel siphoner, in Magamaga Ward, Jinja District.
The incident reportedly occurred at around 1:00 a.m. on October 17, when Rashid was allegedly attacked by a group of people who assaulted him with stones and sticks. His motorcycle, registration number URN 107H, was also reportedly set ablaze.
Rusoke said the incident highlighted the dangers associated with suspected fuel siphoning, a practice that has raised safety concerns in areas where fuel trucks park and along busy roads.
He explained that some individuals take advantage of truck drivers resting after long journeys to siphon fuel from parked vehicles. Similar incidents, he said, occur in urban areas, including traffic jams, where some people target vehicles to steal fuel.
“Of course, we are investigating the matter because a life was lost, and it was taken by people who had no power to do so,” Rusoke said, warning the public against taking the law into their own hands.
He emphasised that suspected criminal activity should be reported to the police rather than dealt with through mob action, commonly referred to as mob justice.
Rusoke also warned that setting fire to a motorcycle near a petrol station and fuel trucks could have triggered a major fire, potentially endangering more lives and property.
He said fuel siphoning posed serious safety risks because petrol and other petroleum products are highly flammable and can cause devastating fires and loss of life.
The police spokesperson further cautioned that some people store siphoned fuel inside their homes, sometimes close to charcoal stoves and other sources of heat or open flames.
“When they siphon this fuel, they take it to their houses, and you find somebody sharing a room with the same fuel he has siphoned, while his charcoal stove or other means of fire is not very far away,” Rusoke warned.
He said such practices could result in domestic fires that endanger not only those involved in fuel theft but also other household members and neighbours.
“If we do not take interest in this matter, soon we shall hear that a siphoner has lost life in his or her house,” he added.
Police urged the public to desist from fuel theft and avoid violently confronting suspected offenders, stressing that criminal allegations should be handled through lawful procedures.