By Alpha Abu
The shooting-to-death in Makeni last Saturday of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mathew Gbanya has drawn condemnation from various Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other sectors in the country.
Campaign for Human Rights and Development International (CHRDI) in a press release said it was concerned that “lawlessness has considerably increased over the past few years, particularly among political activists and some state actors who persist on spreading hate speech in our society today, resulting in tragedies such as this one”.
CHRDI condemned the killing of the officer and expressed concern over what the organization says is “the widespread impunity for those who commit these acts of violence and murder”.
The Speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu in a letter addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, on behalf of the House, said no effort should be spared in investigating “this dastardly incident in order to bring to justice the perpetrators and their sponsors and collaborators”.
Citizen’s Forum for Democratic Accountability, a CSO, in a press release on the killing says it is “a terrible reminder of the dangers facing police officers and civilians alike, especially when the incident will pose danger and even more violence in the future’’.
The organisation has called on the police to conduct a fair investigation of the matter devoid of malice and use a political lens, to bring those responsible to book.
American Ambassador to Sierra Leone David Reimer in a tweet said he was ‘’distressed and saddened by the weekend killing’’.
“We strongly condemn violence in every instance. Our condolences go out to the family, friends and colleagues of ASP Gbanya’’, the tweet stated.
Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) also condemned the killing in a press release, saying it is “totally unacceptable and puts the nation in a state of fear and uncertainty”.
Condemnation has also come from political circles with the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party stating that such an incident constitutes a considerable threat to the peace and security of the country, and therefore called for a “thorough, speedy and conclusive investigation’’.
Reports say ASP Gbanya was shot in the neck as he sat in his Police vehicle along Station Road, a central business area in Makeni on the evening of Saturday 8 April 2023. He was the Co-ordinator North-east of the Operational Support Division (OSD) of the Police. The slaying of the officer has shocked the entire nation.
The leadership of the Police could not confirm to Politico any arrest up to press time.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (12/04/23)
