Army extends a hand of friendship to wanted musician Bosmic
Mr. Otim has been evading capture since April when security organizations declared they were looking for him due to allegations of unlawful gun possession.
What you should know:
Mr. Otim has been evading capture since April when security organizations declared they were looking for him due to allegations of unlawful gun possession.
Bosmic Otim, a fugitive Gulu artist, has been requested to return home by the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), who claim he has been pardoned.
Since April, Mr. Otim has been hiding out after the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence and the Uganda Police declared that they were looking for him because he was in possession of an illegal firearm.
However, the UPDF now claims that they have pardoned Mr. Otim and would ensure his safety when he goes home.
The UPDF’s 4th Division’s commander, Brig. Bonny Bamwiseki, who is based in Gulu City, declared that Mr. Otim had been granted amnesty.
Speaking UPDF
“Call him and tell him to come back; this is our house; no one will bother him ever again. Because so many people are concealing their weapons in public, the public shouldn’t be afraid of him for carrying a pistol, Brig. Bamwiseki said in an interview over the weekend.
Three days after the passing of late former Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah, Mr. Otim’s problems began.
In a song, Mr. Otim questioned Oulanyah’s passing and pleaded with the populace to take action to safeguard Acholi’s remaining sons and daughters, who he claimed were inexplicably disappearing while working for the government.
Otim was to be arrested right away at Oulanyah’s funeral due to security concerns that he might show up and generate unneeded controversy. When Mr. Otim became aware that he was a wanted man, he reportedly went to South Sudan for safety.
It is unclear at this time, though, if he has left South Sudan or is still there hiding.
But at the weekend, Brig. Bamwiseki asserted that violence is not the answer.
We are prepared to welcome him because we don’t want the violent chaos; instead, we say, “We can grant amnesty; we have seen many people with firearms; there is no problem when he returns; using a gun is not a solution; look at Ukraine and Russia right now; what if they talked?”
CONTROVERSIES WITH OTIM
Bosmic Otim had been using social media to share photographs and videos of himself posing with various weaponry and sporting military fatigues before the UPDF intervention. The artist may be seen in the first video clutching an AK47 assault rifle and promising to exact revenge on those he believes were responsible for Acholi’s death.
The recordings caused a stir regarding the origin of the military uniforms and weapons.
Prior to the 2021 General Election, Otim was an active mobilizer in Acholi for the People Power movement, which later became the NUP party. He separated himself from the pressure organization, claiming that the leadership had never been sympathetic to his hardships in the area. He did, however, later renounce the NRM.
