Aerial view of Nimule border town | File photo

An elderly woman has died and seven others have been detained at the Nimule border as they attempted to cross illegally through River Anyama on Thursday.

The victim has been identified as Samira Jennifer – a 69-year-old South Sudanese woman.

According to the Chief Inspector of Police in Nimule, Jennifer had been stranded at Elegu after the closure of the border last month.

“She was in Kampala for her medication and after she was discharged from Mulago hospital according to the information, she was brought to Elegu, she found the border was closed. They managed to call the driver and other family members to come and rescue her from there and help her cross the border,” Col. Mbiko Barakat narrated to Eye Radio on Friday.

The deceased reportedly offered four Ugandan nationals 100,000 Ugandan shillings to help her pass the border by crossing river Anyama southeast of Nimule.

“After reaching the riverside then she passed away with this smuggling her through the bush in Uganda through the South Sudan side at the same time,” Barakat added.

On March 20, the task force on the coronavirus issued an order closing all the border points and banning vehicles from transporting people from the coronavirus affected countries.

Several travelers have been detained over illegal crossing.

This week the security forces arrested a Ugandan woman who tried to enter the country through a secret path.

Over the weekend, the Police at the border town arrested five truck drivers for reportedly smuggling people into the country.