By Prince J. Musa in Kenema
Four people are currently seeking medical attention at the Kenema Government Hospital in eastern Sierra Leone after they were allegedly shot during violent clashes by rival political supporters in Madina Village in neighboring Kailahun District.
The fighting, according to sources, was between supporters of Town Chief of Madina in Kpeje West Chiefdom, Foday Moijueh and Paramount Chief Shamsu Mustapha. The two men contested for the seat of the Paramount Chieftaincy, which was won by Mustapha.
The violence last week, according to local officials, started after the Town Chief Moijueh rejected a football donated to the village youths by Paramount Chief Mustapha. The gesture of the PC, according to sources, was meant to promote peaceful coexistence in the chiefdom. But apparently, the Town Chief interpreted it differently and refused to accept the gesture, much to the disappointment of supporters of the former in the village.
This reportedly worsened the animosity, leading to clashes between their supporters.
According to the Local Unit Commander (LUC) of the area, Superintendent Soa Vandi, that incident happened on Sunday October 4th. He told Politico that the next day, Monday, October 5th, another clashes erupted, which led to the injury of the four people.
In a telephone interview, Supt. Vandi said their investigation indicated that Chief Moijueh incited his supporters against Mustapha’s supporters.
"From our investigation, Chief Moijueh incited the youths in his favor against another Section Chief, Allieu Lamin, who is alleged to be a supporter of PC Shamsu Mustapha during the chieftaincy election," the local police chief explained.
He further explained that Chief Allieu and four others had earlier reported a case of assault against Chief Moijueh and others in relation to the Sunday clashes. He said the Operations Officer in Daru, Inspector Morison Coomber, at the time dispatched a team to the scene at Madina but that they found that the situation had relatively calmed down, and so they were cautioned to maintain sanity in the community.
The local police chief went on to note that on Monday, October 5th, the Officer-in-charge at the Bunubu Police Post informed the Daru Division that another violence had erupted in the village which left many injured.
Superintendent Vandi said they then left for the village but by the time they arrived, the villagers had abandoned the community and went to the bushes for safety.
"Nobody was found in the village earlier, but through investigations, police was told that four people have been injured by gunshot, two in critical conditions and have been taken to the Kenema government hospital for medication," he stated.
The LUC said five people, including Chief Foday Moijueh, were subsequently detained at the Daru Police Division. He two of the suspects were caught in possession of cutlasses, while another two, who are at large, were alleged to have been in possession of locally made shotguns.
“I and my personnel have been deployed at the Madina Village to protect people's properties and lives as some people have started coming from the bush, but investigations still continue as sanity is being restored to the village,” Vandi said.
PC Shamsu Mustapha, in a telephone interview from Bunubu, blamed the violent incidents on “grudges” resulting from the chieftaincy elections which he had won ten months ago.
"The incident that occurred is because of the unwillingness of the supporters of the person I contested against in the chieftaincy election to accept the result. Since the election was held in January this year, the opposition candidate’s supporters don't want to come under my rule as elected Paramount Chief of Kpeje West Chiefdom. The man I contested against, after the election, he wrote to the Provincial Secretary and the AIG East, noting that if he didn’t get certain things, he would bring chaos into the chiefdom. The man came to Madina Village and mobilized his supporters and attacked my supporters. We have evidences of houses destroyed; motor bikes burnt and those (people) damaged with gunshot shell used, which are with the police," he said.
Politico couldn’t get the side of Town Chief Moijueh whom we understand has since Tuesday been transferred to the regional Police Division in Kenema, pending ongoing investigation.
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