The Comboni Missionaries, who began to evangelise in the region of Kitgum in 1915, soon began to train catechists to help them in their work. The two catechists expressed their willingness to be transferred to Paimol, a northern village in the Upper Nile basin, so that they could begin teaching the first catechumens who lived there. Paimol was an area afflicted by a smallpox epidemic, famine and tribal unrest against "foreigners". Many other elements added to the instability: the repercussions of World War I, the removal of traditional tribal leaders, restrictions on the missionaries, forbidden to wear European clothing, and their supposed negative influence on the "spirits of the ancestors" that seemed to have stopped protecting the people of Paimol. With opposition to Christianity on the rise, friends suggested to Daudi and Jildo that they leave. Their reply was edifying: "We will not run away; it will be as God wills it to be". A catechist who taught in a neighbouring village testified that the boys won the hearts of the people: "All the villagers without exception loved them. The mothers were happy to let the children listen to their teaching and the fathers encouraged them. Both boys were totally dedicated to their work of instructing catechumens in the faith until they were murdered although they had done nothing wrong.
At daybreak on 18 October 1918, four men attacked the hut where the two catechists lived, dragging them outside the camp. They killed Daudi first, piercing him with their lances. Jildo replied to one of the assassins, who took pity on his young age and encouraged him to escape: "You have killed Daudi, now you must kill me because I came here to teach the faith just as he did". They then killed Jildo holding up in front of him the little catechism from which he was teaching.
Since the day of the martyrdom the place is known as "Wi-polo" ("In Heaven"), to mark the reward of the two courageous young martyrs. In giving testimony all the witnesses stated that the catechists were killed "for nothing" meaning that they had nothing to do with the uprising against the colonial rulers. The witnesses confirmed that the boys died "simply because they were teaching religion".
In 1952, 1953 an investigation on their martyrdom was begun. It was led by Bishop Battista Cesana who published a document written by his predecessor Bishop Angelo Negri entitled "The Paimol Tragedy". Two Combonian fathers, Victor Albertini and Vincent Pellegrini, also collected extensive documentation on the heroic martyrdom of the two Acholi boys. This 300-page typewritten document was mysteriously lost without a sign for 40 years; on 26 December 1996 it was providentially found, and opened the door for their claim to holiness. Uganda already has a history of martyrdom. In 1969 in Namugongo, Pope Paul VI proclaimed the first 27 martyrs Charles Luwanga and companions. They had died a century earlier. Today, Christians make up 70% of Uganda's 23.9 million people. (Source Office for Papal Liturgical Celebrations) (Fides Service 15/10/2002)