At a press conference held yesterday Monday 29th August, 2022 at the Police Headquarters in Freetown, the Police told journalists that they have some 141 suspects in police custody and are looking for some others that they have declared wanted persons. A new toll-free line was released for citizens to help them with information about their whereabouts.
Speaking during the press briefing on the security situation in the country after the 10th August saga, Police maintained that things were under control and that people should go about their normal business, and warned that they will come hard on people who break the law, with the intention to foment trouble and disturb the peace of the country.
It was further disclosed that among those arrested on Wednesday’s alleged violence and in their custody, were 3 top executive members of a youth group that championed the alleged violent protest in Freetown.
He said Mohamed Sesay of the People’s Power in Politics (PPP), Francis Bangura and Peter Koroma of the Kissy Progressive Youth Organisation were arrested and currently in police detention helping the police in their investigations, while Abdul Wahab Bah formerly of 45 Wharf Road Tombo, a Member of the People’s Power in Politics (PPP), the Public Relations Director of the Kissy Progressive Youth Organisation, Fayiah Tamba Fatorma, formerly of 16 Leicester road in Freetown, his Organising Secretary Abdul Aziz Dumbuya formerly of 3 Fourah Bay Road and other suspects are still on the run and police are still hunting them.
It was said that police raided their houses and successfully arrested some of Fayiah Tamba Fatorma’s and Abdul Aziz Dumbuya’s family members who were met at their houses.
Also, the police representative said 24 juveniles: 18 young boys and 6 girls are also in police detention. In this regard, A call for community people to help in the search to identify those on the run so that police will bring them to book.
It was after completion of investigation of those in their custody, they will be charged to Court on various charges, including Riotous Conduct, Murder and attempted coup against the current President of Sierra Leone.
In a similar development, top police management board met with wives and family members and promised to use their office to crackdown on all members of the various organisations that are alleged to have organised the protest that turnouts violent.
The police expressed sincere condolences on behalf of the IGP to the bereaved families and promised that the alleged perpetrators including all their associates and aide will face the full brunt of the state powers. Meanwhile a list of the wanted persons has been posted on various police stations as well as the toll free line for information leading to their arrest.
Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has said that the circumstances will be “fully investigated”.
However, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) nationwide have condemned the unfortunate incident, while reporting that the denial by the police to first of all grant permission to the citizens to hold a peaceful protest led to the sad incident.
The CSOs reported that from their findings, the police and security forces were very high and trigger freak, revealing further that their decision to barricade the major streets in order to forcefully stop the peaceful protest offended some of the protesters.
An eyewitness report say, she witnessed a very peaceful protest until some well-armed police and military personnel stormed the protest and fired gunshots to disperse the protesters, which also led to the death of one of the protesters and a community resident.
The CSOs say from their findings, it was the death of these two people that angered the community people to join the protesters in what could be described as violent.
This, she further explained, annoyed some of the protesters who saw the action by the security forces as a blatant violation of their civic right to hold peaceful protests.
Reports say there have been series of secret night raids conducted by police and community people loyal to government, shooting and killing of relatives of protesters listed on police wanted list.
