By John Kamanda
Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) Government through the Sierra Leone Police have intensified arrest of prominent youth leaders in the City of Makeni, Bombali District.
This arrest came a day after the riot that breaks on the 18th July 2021 in Makeni, as the youth protested peaceful against the SLPP government over the relocation of the power generation system from Makeni to Lungi.
Residents of Makeni including youths have saw it as a total violation of their right to electricity; which led to a Peaceful protest resulted to police firing of tear-gas and shooting of live guns that lead to the killing of seven active youths on the said date.
The standoff which continues for two days is now calm but the Sierra Leone police lead by the alleged SLPP notorious Resident Minister Mr Abu Abu are moving from one resident to the other in identifying youth prominent opposition youth leaders in Makeni whom they perceived to be part of the protest.
Mohamed Bakarr Kanu, one of the youth Leaders whose house was raided a day after the protest by the SLPP minister and police has suffered lots of inhuman and degrading treatments for recently joined the opposition APC party and abandoned the ruling SLPP party that he now considers a violent political party that does not respect the rule of law.
Citing the fact that his previous party (SLPP) is engaging in blatant disregard of human rights; especially to the people of his own region in Sierra Leone.
His younger brother Musa Kanu disclosed to the press that the ruling SLPP government through the Resident Minister of the Northern Province came to their house alleging that Mohamed was part of the youths that championed the protest against the government over the relocation of their generator to another town, leaving Makeni city in complete lack of electricity supply.
He revealed further that, this is not the first time their family is been targeted by the Resident Minister and armed military personnel due to his brother Mohamed Bakarr Kanu defecting to the main opposition APC party.
“Our family was put under house arrest on the 9th May 2021 by unknown military men and my brother sustained serious injury on his head and was hospitalized for some weeks,” he noted. He further asked, “Why the Police and the SLPP Government can’t leave my brother alone”.
He also added that, he sees nothing wrong for someone to leave a political party based on the abuse of power, violation of human rights, tribalism and regional division and no respect for the rule of law. After several complaints reported to the police, he added that, the police have refused to investigate the matter. Due to the persistent raids by the Resident Minister Abu-Abu and armed military personnel, he said that, his brother ran to a nearby bush for safety and since then, they haven’t set eyes on him.
The 18th July 2021, Police brutality in Makeni was widely condemned by local and international actors and also the Publicity Secretary of the main opposition APC party, Sidi Yayah Tunis has condemned all forms of police brutality against their supporters citing the Pademba Road Maximum Prison killings, Tombo, Lunsar and the Makeni killing as a grave violation of human rights. Mr. Tunis also joined other bodies to call for speedy investigation of the issues.
The head of media of the Sierra Leone police refused to comment on this matter.
