Daughter pins Soroti school director in murder of P1 pupil

The daughter of Jozan Nursery and Primary School director Suzan Vivian Ariokot Okedi has testified before the High court and accused her mother of orchestrating the murder of a primary one pupil, Joan Faith Apio, in February last year

Apio was found dead on February 5, 2025, with her body locked inside a school toilet. A few days ago, the High court discharged two juveniles who had reportedly admitted involvement in the killing after ruling that they would instead testify as prosecution witnesses.

The court found that although the juveniles had participated in the crime, the available evidence suggested they had been manipulated by adults. It also considered the time they had spent on remand and their age before ordering their discharge.

Six adults are jointly charged with Apio’s murder. They are school directors Joseph Okedi and Suzan Vivian Ariokot Okedi, headteacher James Edoket, police officer John Bosco Obotol, school cook Valentine Opio and school matron Osula Adong. All have denied the charges.

During the trial, the prosecution also presented DNA evidence through Ambrose Wilber Mugarurwa, a forensic biology analyst attached to the Directorate of Forensic Services.

Mugarurwa told the court that police submitted 18 exhibits to the Government Analytical Laboratory for DNA examination.

The exhibits included blood samples from the accused persons, blood swabs collected from the crime scene, a tricycle padlock allegedly used to lock the victim inside the toilet, a green cutter knife with a broken blade recovered from the latrine, a blue school sweater, white socks belonging to one of the juvenile witnesses identified as A6, and blood samples from both A6 and the deceased.

He testified that DNA analysis confirmed the blood found on a jerrycan and on the floor of the school toilet belonged to Apio. The analyst further told the court that A6’s DNA was detected on cuttings taken from the waist and collar areas of a blue school sweater, as well as on a school badge submitted as exhibits.

He added that while the laboratory compared DNA profiles obtained from the exhibits with those of the deceased and all the accused persons, none of the adult suspects matched any of the exhibits. Only A6’s DNA matched one of the items analysed.

In her testimony, A6 told the court that on the day of the murder, Ariokot instructed her to bring one of a pair of twin sisters to the school toilet, claiming they were going to meet their father.

She said she led Apio to the toilet but became suspicious and hid nearby, where she allegedly saw Ariokot take the child into the toilet before hearing her scream.

A6 further testified that she later found Apio lying on her stomach with her neck cut. She alleged that Ariokot instructed her to collect a knife from the school canteen and that, after she returned, Ariokot used the knife to widen the wound on the child’s neck before removing an object from the throat and placing it in a black polythene bag, which she allegedly handed to police officer John Bosco Obotol.

A6 told the court that she remained silent because Ariokot allegedly threatened to kill her if she disclosed what she had witnessed. The second juvenile witness, identified as A7 and a daughter of the school directors, also testified after the court found that she understood the duty to tell the truth.

Before A7 took the stand, Ariokot objected to her daughter’s testimony, arguing that the child was not truthful. However, A7 told the court that although she initially lied in her first statement to police after being instructed by her mother, she later gave what she described as a truthful account to investigators attached to East Kyoga Regional Police.

She testified that her mother confessed to killing Apio and warned her not to tell anyone. A7 further alleged that later that evening, Ariokot returned to the school with Obotol, handed her the toilet keys and instructed her to dispose of them while again warning her to remain silent.

The prosecution continues to present its evidence. Seven of the 10 planned prosecution witnesses have so far testified before the court.

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