By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has vowed to bring to justice perpetrators of last week’s riots at Fourah Bay College (FBC).
The SLP told Politico that they are waiting on the outcome of ongoing investigation by the college authorities, as sanctioned by the government through the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education.
The riots broke out on Tuesday during a debate by candidates vying for the presidency in the now suspended student union election. Rival students supporting the candidates pelted stones and other missiles at each other and engaged in running battle with the police.
According to the police, the riots led to the destruction of buildings, vehicles and other properties within the campus.
The FBC administration was given until 2nd July to institute an investigation and submit its findings to the Higher Education Ministry for necessary action.
Superintendent Brima Kamara, Head of Police Media, said they would not hesitate to arrest anyone that is implicated in the outcome of the investigation.
“The violence at the FBC campus is regretted, especially at this time when the college infrastructure is undergoing renovation through the Arab Bank for Development,” the police spokesman said.
He explained that those who would be implicated face potential charges with offences such as malicious damage, riotous conduct and disorderly behavior.
“All the aforementioned offences are kindred offences that would not be easy for one to walk free from,” he said.
Kamara added that although normalcy has returned to the campus, they were still maintaining presence there for any outbreak of violence.
The SLP normally has a small post of about half a dozen personnel within the campus. When tTuesday’s riots broke out they were nowhere to be seen. Sources told Politico that they ran away in the face of the riotous students. But eventually a reinforcement of police personnel was dispatched from the Operations Support Division headquarters which helped disperse the rampaging students. That contingent of reinforcement personnel, is still located in strategic positions in the campus.
“The visibility we maintain at the campus is a form of assurance policing, as we don’t want to see the situation degenerate into another violence that may lead to the destruction of life and property,” Kamara said.
Following the riots, many students interviewed by Politico supported calls for perpetrators of the violence to be brought to justice. Some of them were however apprehensive over the blanket “punishment” of banning student union politics, as declared by the Education Ministry.
Abass Kamara, a first year student in the History and African Studies Department, wondered what it would be like for the students community without a government, amidst the myriad of problems they face.
“Without a government, who will represent us, now that we are facing a lot of academic problems and other welfare issues,” Kamara said.
© 2019 Politico Online
