From Awareness Times Newspaper in Freetown

Local News
“No Army involved in Kenema riot” …DIG Somassa in Sierra Leone
By Abu Bakarr Munu
Nov 9, 2005, 12:58

The Deputy Inspector General of Police in Sierra Leone, Oliver B.M. Somassa yesterday categorically denied any military involvement in the Kenema riot which left a number of people killed and a whole lot of others hospitalized in Sierra Leone due to gun shot wounds.

DIG Somassa, responding to questions posed to him by journalists at the usual weekly police press briefing yesterday Tuesday, November 8, 2005 at the Police Headquarters, George Street, said the situation is now under control, adding that "It was a public order situation which the police was capable of handling."

He said there is a laid down protocol between the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and SLP known as the ‘Military Assistant to Civil Power’ (MATCP). This is a mutual security agreement between the two institutions that provides for the assistance of the other in terms of security need. He indicated that at no time was the military called in under the circumstance to assist the police.

He lauded the effort of the Regional Police Commander East, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Elizabeth Turay, who he said exhibited high standard of professionalism in handling the situation.

"We have the capability to arrest all bike riders in Bo and Kenema," adding that it seems as if the bike riders want to take the law into their own hands, DIG Somassa said.

Explaining about the riot which took place in the Kenema Township on Monday 7th November, DIG Somassa noted that the police received an intelligence report that two bike riders rode towards the Pastoral Centre area late the previous night where one of them was reportedly stabbed to death.

The matter, he said, was reported to the police and the body taken to the hospital pending further investigations.

According to him, a good number of bike riders mobilized the following morning and embarked on a protest. A meeting, he went on, was conveyed to look into the circumstances that led to the death of the biker. The process according to him was well on underway when suddenly the bike riders jumped into the streets and started causing mischief. According to DIG Somassa, "the protesters were armed with offensive weapons and were by all indications very violent."

The violent conduct of the bike riders, DIG Somassa maintained, consequently resulted in the major streets being abandoned by peaceful residents, and the daily activities in the entire township was put to an abrupt halt.

According to him, it took the police time to put the situation under control. He vehemently denied reports that the police used live bullets to put the situation under control.



© Copyright 2005, Freetown, Sierra Leone.