There was a huge public outcry and condemnation over the way and manner security forces – police and military – handled the protest which led to the destruction of university properties.

Njala, one of about three government-owned universities, is located in the southern Bo district. It’s best known for providing tuition in the sciences.

Video footage shared on social media showed security forces brutalizing the students. Civil society organizations and rights groups have condemned the police’s action and called for investigations. 

Among them is the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) which expressed shock and dismay over the “high-handedness of the security forces” and called for a “prompt, speedy and thorough investigation” of the incident.

The university authorities claimed that the students attacked the security personnel and destroyed major infrastructures and assets of the institution. 

The campus library was reportedly burnt down and the residence of the Deputy Vice Chancellor vandalized and his family held under siege.