By Kemo Cham
There was an uneasy calm over the weekend in and around Mokonde and Mosongo, the two host communities of Njala University in Moyamba District, which were the scenes of a violent riot sparked by allegations of cannibalism earlier in the week.
Angry students attacked the communities over allegation of an attempt to kidnap a colleague student.
Mokonde, one of three campuses of Njala University, serves as home to many of the university’s students along with its neighboring community of Mosongo. The southern district is widely rumored to be replete with reports of killings of human beings for ritual purposes.
Last week’s riot broke out after an allegation by a female student that a bike rider had attempted to kill her on Wednesday, October 28. The following morning on Thursday fellow students descended on the communities, attacking anyone they came across. Sources said a local chief was beaten and stripped naked by the students.
A spokesman for the university told Politico that the rioting students specifically targeted traditional authorities, some of whom sustained injury and their properties, including their houses destroyed by the angry students.
Ralph Sesay, communications officer of the university, said as of Saturday, there was a heavy deployment of security forces in the communities, amidst ongoing investigation over the cause of the incident and the ensuing riot.
An earlier statement from the university administration said peace and tranquility had returned to the communities. It noted that personnel of the Sierra Leone Police, led by the Assistant Inspector General of Police South, Fayia Sellu and the Njala University Administration led by its Acting Vice Chancellor and Principal, Professor Osman Sankoh, held crisis meetings in the communities, as well as with the students, in a bid to calm down the situation.
Mokonde and Mosongo hosts over 60% of the 4,400 registered students of Njala University, according to the statement. Many of these students participated in the riots.
And the university spokesperson said there have been concerns over the safety of these students who feared reprisal attacks on returning to their homes in the communities.
But Sesay added that the local authorities had assured the university administration of their security. He also said that the police were investigating the incident as part of efforts to ensure a permanent resolution of the disagreement.
Prof. Sankoh, the Acting Vice Chancellor and Principal of the university, reportedly admonished the community authorities and the students in separate meetings to keep the piece.
The students were specifically urged to take up their responsibility to keep the peace and project a very good image of the university.
“You should always learn to use your personal disposition to positively project the university and your families,’’ Prof. Sankoh is quoted saying.
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