This shameful street fighting by supporters and officials of the SLPP  highlights a sad addendum to the bitter  internecine conflict that has torn the party  apart, reducing it to two deadly factions loyal to the Chairman of the party, Chief Somano Kapen on one hand and Presidential flagbearer hopeful, Retired Brigadier Maada Bio  on the other hand, whose group is called “PA O PA “,  which in Krio means : “It is either us or nothing .”

The SLPP  members had come to the court to attend a legal session . There have been different versions of the incident, depending on the supporters of the two factions of the SLPP  reporting the event. Here are a few versions .

During chaotic scenes outside the Central Courts in Freetown, where hundreds of Julius Maada Bio supporters had gathered to threaten and intimidate the Plaintiffs in the injunction hearing brought by Victor Sheriff and others against the SLPP, a gun shot was fired which resulted in the leg injury to one of the Paopa supporters.

It is not known who fired the gun shot, however, there has been concern about the worsening security situation in Freetown with the mobilisation of over 400 armed thugs at Unity House and the of former CDF fighters to todays court hearing.

According to reports published by the group, Monitors for Justice and Peace – Sierra Leone, armed thugs stationed at Unity House, to make a last violent stand in advance of their expulsion by the SLPP National Chairman, Somanoh Kapen are armed with cutlasses, knives and also pistols.

It is likely that in the consternation outside the courts, these ill disciplined thugs may have accidentally fired a gun shot, which injured one of their own supporters.

The deterioration of the security situation outside the Central Court and at Unity House cannot continued to be overlooked by the Sierra Leone Police. The Sierra Leone Police cannot continue to assert that this is an internal SLPP fracas, and does not wish to get involved, when it is clear that the use of force by Julius Maada Bio’s supporters has implications for the safety and security of members of the public, court staff and key SLPP figures.

Following the death of Daddy George at the hands of Julius Maada Bio’s bodyguard, it is clear that the Sierra Leone Police have not learnt the lessons of that tragic event.