Crime barricade tape. | Courtesy.

Law enforcement agents in Lakes State are investigating a murder incident in which a wildlife officer killed a police officer reportedly in love with his daughter in Cueibet County.

Lakes Police Spokesperson Maj. Elijah Mabor Makuach said the suspect, who is a sergeant in the Wildlife Service, allegedly killed the officer at his home in Mayath Payam on Monday night, October 28.

Armed with a rifle, the suspect reportedly visited the victim’s home at night and knocked, before he shot him dead and escaped.

Maj. Makuac narrated that the incident’s trigger is still unclear, although preliminary information indicates that the victim, a major in the police force, was dating the perpetrator’s daughter.

“The father in-law just came at night, probably at 10:00 PM, and awoke the deceased from his room while asleep, and when he came out, he shot him dead immediately on spot, and he fled after committing the crime,” Makuach said.

The police spokesperson said law enforcement agencies are tailing the suspect who is on the run.

“I believe the organized forces are not supposed to take law into their hands. This case would have been taken up by the community leaders and local chiefs such that the case should have been investigated socially,” said Abraham Matur Makoi, a civil society activist in Lakes.

He added: “I totally condemn this incident because it’s not a good incident.”.

Makoi encourages members of the organized forces to avoid acting on emotions and be guided by the law when they feel offended.

“You need to know that there are laws that deal with issues to do with girls’s elopement or inappropriate engagement. What happened in Cueibet County is really very inappropriate, and it does not reflect the spirit of responsibility from law enforcement agencies.”

He urged the state government to train law enforcement officers on human rights, rule of law, and ethics so that they abide by constitutions and properly enforce law in their communities.

According to PeacePrep organization, there is an empirical link between bride price and violence against women in South Sudan, where dowry can cause or justify various forms of abuse and violence.

It states that bride price often lead to a sense of entitlement over women, affecting women’s rights and their treatment, adding that the situation is known to negatively impact gender relations and triggers gender-based violence and armed encounters.