By Mabinty M. Kamara
Lecturers of Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone occupying quarters on the college campus in Freetown have expressed fear for their safety following the apparent strangling to death of their colleague. Mr. Authur Edger Smith of the Language Studies department was allegedly attacked and murdered in his flat in the Lower Faculty area of the campus on Sunday 14th March, 2021.
According to a police source, Smith was reported dead in the early afternoon of Monday 15th March 2021 after some neighbors realized that he wasn’t around as usual for the whole day while his windows gates were open.
Mrs. Elizabeth Kamara, his colleague and neighbor said the news of the demise of Mr. Smith was not only shocking to her but has left the whole community worried. “A neighbor told my maid that they have not seen the late man but it seemed his gates and windows were open. That was very alarming so we alerted the security personnel. My husband called the housing chairman and they came with the police and forced their way in, only to find him dead.”
She added: “At Lower faculty, we don’t feel secure at all and this is not the first time we are raising this. Several things have happened in the past: people have attacked our neighbors in their house. Women are also frequently attacked here.”
The President of the Academic Staff Association, (ASA-FBC) Dr. Williette James said they have in several meetings raised concerns about the security situation on the campus especially at night. “They should give the security personnel vehicles to enable them to patrol the campus at night in case of any distress call, they will be able to gather security personnel to attend to the person but we don’t have that on this campus, security is very minimal,” she said.
She said the college administration has been informed several time and now this “incident is very worrisome we are all in distress because we don’t know what will happen next because Smith was in his house we don’t know what happened, how his attackers got into that place so these are things we have been saying but the matter is now under investigations so there is nothing much we can say.”
Dr. James called on the college authorities to improve the security situation on campus. She said the few police and checkpoints on the campus are not enough.
The Deputy Police Media and Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Samuel Saio Conteh told Politico that they are currently investigating a murder as the man was found dead with hands and legs tied and face covered in his apartment.
He said statements have been obtained but that no arrests have been made because “there is nothing linking those we have interviewed to the death of the lecturer.”
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (17/03/21)
