By Prince J Musa in Kenema
Ten youths arrested for allegedly attacking officials from the Ministry of Lands and Police personnel who had gone to witness the settling of a boundary dispute between the chiefdoms of Gaura and Dama in the Kenema district, have been released.
The officials and the Police had gone to the disputed boundary area together with representatives of the two chiefdoms for the process of identifying the exact colonial-era boundary separating the two chiefdoms, when they were attacked by young men believed to have come from the town of Kanga in the Dama chiefdom. Several officers and Lands officials were injured and their personal items destroyed by the youths who were said to have used machetes, stones, and other projectiles.
The demarcation process led by the District Security Committee under the Office of National Security (ONS) was a follow-up to an earlier preliminary boundary demarcation exercise that had reportedly gone on peacefully and witnessed by all parties as well as representatives of the Inter-Religious Council and Civil Society.
But the hasty release of the youths has attracted a lot of attention. Sources had told Politico that relatives of the suspects had allegedly phoned higher authorities in Freetown to influence the release of the men.
When confronted over the alleged discriminatory release of the youths, Police Local Unit Commander Kenema division, Mohamed Morie Kamara denied. “I didn’t take any instruction from a politician for their release but they were granted bail with credible sureties,’’ the officer countered. He said even the two paramount chiefs decided not to interfere with the investigations by the Police and even dissociated themselves from the acts of violence perpetrated by the youths.
The regional Lands Surveyor Abubakar Kamara told this medium that as far as they will not continue the process because of the attack they suffered at the hands of the youths, and the lack of any seriousness in prosecuting the attacked them. “We will not risk ourselves hence politicians are involved’’, he stated.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police East, Mustapha Solomon Kambel explained to Politico that he has ordered the LUC Kamara to make available the suspects through those that bailed them in connection to the incident that occurred while the officers were performing their assigned duty.
Paramount Chief of Dama Chiefdom, Alhaji Sandi Momoh Fowai condemned the action of the youths and urged the Police to take action.
Copyright © Politico Online (16/08/21)
