By: Anthony Newman Levey
A commercial motorbike rider Mohamed Jalloh who survived a shooting incident by suspected armed robbers in Bo has urged his colleagues to refrain from night riding as they will be at the mercy of bad people.
Jalloh gave the piece of advice during an interview with Politico as he nursed his injuries. The attack took place on Wednesday 23rd February 2022 at 1:00 am along Gerihun Road.
“I took two people from Palace night Club on my motorbike. They told me that they wanted to go to Gerihun Road, Sedami area. After we arrived there at around 1:00 am Wednesday morning, the first man came down from the bike. The other came down also pretending to give me ten thousand Leones we arranged for,” he said.
He added “To my greatest surprise, he fired me at my back with a pistol. I fell down shouting for help. They took away my bike. No one came to my aid at that moment. After 7-8 minutes the police patrol vehicle came to the scene", Jalloh narrated his ordeal.
He said the men took away his bike registered with the number ARV 574. The 30-year-old who lives in Gbetima section was taken to the Bo Government Hospital for gunshot wounds. The victim’s sister Iye Abu expressed her displeasure over the way she said her brother was treated by the hospital staff whom she accused of refusing him access to X-ray screening and had to be taken to the Bo Children’s Hospital where the process was done.
Solomon Jabba an x-ray Technician at the hospital said they received a police medical request form from Mohamed Jalloh and that he would go for further medical treatment.
ASP Mohamed Bobson Senu, Police Media and Public Relations Officer, Southern Region said they will continue investigations after the biker would have got the necessary treatment. The officer suspects the pistol which the victim claimed was used against him could have been locally made. “We have organized town hall meetings engaging the bike riders union of this new trend and how all of us could put a stop to it", ASP Senu said. He advised the commercial bike riders to be very careful and wary of where to take passengers, especially during ungodly hours.
In another incident, a lecturer at Njala University in Bo, Stanley Vandi was attacked and wounded by thieves last month. ASP Senu said those who attacked the lecturer and other peaceful residents were from Freetown. The officer disclosed that some men arrested for an unrelated offence in Kono made confessional statements that they did the havoc in Bo. They were then brought to Bo and subjected to an identification parade but Stanley could not identify his attackers as they were said to be masked when he was robbed and assaulted.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (25/02/22)
