By Hassan Osman Kargbo

It is almost six month now since President Julius Maada Bio was announced as the winner of the June 24 presidential polls, citizens have been experiencing series of gunshots in the country especially in the capital of Freetown.

It could be recalled that on Thursday 21 September 2023, a famous artist by the name of Big Fish was shot and killed in Freetown after it was alleged that the said artist took a gun from an Operational Support Division – OSD personnel and started shooting and course panic within the Central Business Area in Freetown. This particular situation led to the people to run helter-skelter trying to run for their lives in the city.

A similar incident occurred on Sunday 26 November 2023, and some might say this could be the worse situation, according to some government officials a group of individuals launched an attack on the military armoury in the country and other several locations, including the Male and Female Correctional Centres at Pademba Road and at the former Special Court for Sierra Leone detention facilities at New England, which led to the escape of several prisoners.

This ugly situation occurred for the rest of the day where citizens experienced rapid gun shots for the rest of the day on Sunday 26 November in Freetown. The million dollar question is; does that means the authorities are not in charge? Does that mean President Bio doesn’t have control over the army? What the security forces have done to combat this situation? What the future holds for the nation?, when every day we sleep and wake it is a different drama in the country.

To show that the Sunday incident was serious; the Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor A. Bah announced a nationwide curfew and asked citizens to stay indoors because of the high level of gunshots in the capital of Freetown. The curfew was adjusted later in the day from 9 p.m to 6 a.m daily until the situations returns to normalcy.

Sierra Leone should move beyond this point; other nations are moving rapidly with development, but in Sierra Leone we are moving from bad to worse. A curfew in any nation showed that things are not going well as it supposed to and the government together with it partners most put modalities in place so that the country could move forward.

The rapid gunshots on the streets of Freetown have coursed many citizens to think that the country is not safe. The safety of the country lies in the hands of the security forces but one might say with all the check points in and out of the capital city, how did those arm men break through the Wilberforce Barrack and other important area and course mayhem in those area. Citizens are still in dismay about the ugly incidents in the country.

This ugly incident is unaccepted and our nation had moved from an 11 years deadly war and I am sure nobody is wishing or preparing to face anything like that. No matter the situation, Sierra Leone is a country that is governed with law and order and as such every action most be within the confines of the laws of the country.

I know the government and it apparatus are in control and I am looking forward for them to bring those perpetrators to book; because some set of people cannot disturb the peace and stability that citizens have been enjoying in the country.