By Kemo Cham
The family of the suspended Major of Koidu in the eastern Sierra Leonean district of Kono says they are living in fear after thugs attacked their home in what they suspect is a politically motivated incident.
Hannah Lamina, wife of Mayor Saa Emerson Lamina, told Politico that the unknown assailants attacked in the middle of the night, destroying their windows. She said they struck at precisely around 2:19am, carrying machetes and heavy stones.
The incident occurred on Monday November 28 at the compound which is situated at #9 Nyama Saquee St, 555 Spot in Koidu City.
The scene the next morning showed broken window glasses.
A total of six pieces of glasses were destroyed in the attack, according to Mrs Lamina who also said the unknown assailants left behind a machete which has been handed to the police.
Mayor Lamina was controversially removed from office by the Government in a move seen by his supporters as the culmination of his falling out with the governing All Peoples Congress.
The young politician is currently in the US, where he recently gave an interview to the online Sierra Leone-focused broadcaster, Mamba TV.
In that interview, Lamina is said to have criticized the apparent refusal of the authorities to reinstate him, despite having been found innocent of the charges levied against him which led to his removal from office early this year.
Lamina also used the same medium to announce his plan to return home to fight for his reinstatement.
Mrs Lamina believes those comments by her husband might have provoked the attack on their compound from his political opponents.
“This is not the first attack on my family. Early this year Mayor was physically attacked in the State Radio Station SLBC Kono with identified culprits, the case was even sent to Kenema since it is a state case according to the police. But nothing came out of it. In fact the culprits were freed by higher political stake holders in the district,” she told Politico on telephone interview.
Superintendent David Sahib Koroma, Local Unit Commander at the Tankoro Police Division, where the Lamina family made a report over the latest attack, said the police have obtained all necessary statements and evidence pending investigation. He said no arrests had so far been made because there were no evidence linking anyone to the incident.
“You know we don’t work with magic. We are linking up with the population around here,” the local police chief said on a telephone interview.
Superintendent Koroma also confirmed that detectives from his station collected samples of broken glasses and the machete the attackers were thought to have left behind, all backed up with photos taken.
The Lamina family blames the continued attack on them on the refusal of the police to provide them security. Mrs Lamina said her husband had repeatedly made request to the IG and other security chiefs since his ordeal started.
“With all what has happened, he has written to all the security apparatus and none of them has taken any action,” she said.
Instead of them providing protection, the police withdrew the only OSD security stationed at the Mayor’s compound, she said.
Superintendent Koroma though said the decision to allocate security to anyone rested with the head of OSD in Freetown.
Copyright (c) Politico 2016
