Nineteen youths in three communities along the Freetown Peninsular have been arrested and charged to court for allegedly attacking some military and police personnel while protesting the delay in response from the Ebola burial team.
A statement, dated 1 October, 2014 and released by the military, claimed that “the riotous conduct of the youths followed an alleged delay by the burial team in collecting a corpse in their locality. Armed with bottles, knives and other missiles, the youths moved towards the EVD treatment centre at Lakka in order to vandalize it”.
The release said the youngsters of Ogu Farm, Angola town and New Jersey, in particular, had mounted road blocks between Adonkia and Lakka and had “impounded several vehicles with the intention to set them ablaze”.
It said ateam of military and police personnel had initially moved to the scene to restrain the rioters but were attacked with stones, leaving two of them injured.
“The rioters also damaged some impounded vehicles, including the command vehicle of the Commanding Officer of 5 Battalion in Freetown, Lieutenant Colonel Sheku Saquee,” the military said.
The emergency response team of the military was called in to the arrest the assailants, among them four “ring leaders”. The rescue team had also rushed to Lakka and denied the youths the chance to wreak further havoc on the Ebola Virus Disease treatment centre.
The councilor of ward 334, very close to ward 333 where the incident took place, Allie Makay Sesay, confirmed that there were problems in the areas and that he even tried to intervene.
Meanwhile, Captain Yayah Brima of the media operations at the headquarters, Joint Force Command, Cockerill Barracks in Freetown, said that the 19 made their first appearance in court on Wednesday 30 September, 2014 but could not ascertain the offences for which they were charged.
(C) Politico 02/10/14
