By Michael Bangura
Reports reaching this medium state that one Samuel Madanie Sesay who is the Youth Chairman of Wilberforce Youth Organization for the opposition Party (APC) at West part of Freetown has been declared ‘Wanted Persons’ including his wife Rugiatu Sesay by the Sierra Leone Police in connection with the August 10 violent riot that took place in the country, and resulted in the death of some 35 civilians and 6 police officers.
According to investigation mounted by this medium in respect of the said matter, it was revealed by family sources that Samuel Madanie Sesay was among the people that organizing youths to go out to protest for high cost of leaving and Human Rights Abuses cause by the current regime in the process he was got shoot within the process of the protest Samuel Madanie Sesay and Rugiatu Sesay was later arrested by security forces at his resident at Wilberforce after he return home to explain to her wife what have happen and he was seriously bleeding on his harm where he was shoot few minute later a group of Security forces surrender his house her wife Rugiatu was seriously beaten as well by the Security Forces due to the seriousness of the gun shoot Samuel Madanie Sesay and Regiatu Sesay was taking to government hospital where both of them later manage to escape from the hospital when the securities were going about to change shift and both of them were not handcuff at the time of escape According the police spokesman. According to the friend of Samuel Madanie Sesay he left his village because of fair of secret Society before he left for Freetown the capital city.
On the 13th August 2022, a days after the said riot, when news of a pending police raid in the area filtered through the community, and Samuel Madanie Sesay house was ride after their escape some youths in the community, known to be supporters of the ruling party, have told the security forces that he was among the rioters, and they have escape from hospital. Family sources continued some armed security personnel, in the company of armed youths (armed with machetes, sticks, guns and knives), alighted from a government security jeep that had no registration number (averting identification), and menacingly forced their way into the house, breaking the front door.
Family members explained to this writer that they were all forced to sit on the floor, whilst the officers and the youths searched the house for Samuel Madanie Sesay and Rugiatu Sesay but to no avail. They furthered Explain that they were beaten and threatened with death if they fail to produce Samuel Madanie Sesay. But after turning the entire house upside down, and not finding him, they informed them that they will return and will not relent until they find him.
A friend of Samuel Madanie Sesay, who spoke to this medium on basis of anonymity, said that when Samuel Madanie Sesay escaped from hospital on the (12th August 2022,) after Security Forces have look for him and other youths, known to be supporters of the main opposition party in the community. He explained that what had been the norm immediately after the riot was that the security forces, in the company of ruling party youths and thugs, were raiding homes of known opposition supporters as well as members of the Wilberforce Youth Organization, arresting them, and in some cases taking them to unknown places. Some of these have not returned, and are feared dead. He added that since Samuel Madanie Sesay and Rugiatu Sesay left, his whereabouts are unknown. Family members also say that since Samuel Madanie Sesay and Wife left the hospital has not returned, nor do they have any idea of his whereabouts. They fear for their life, especially as there are news of people being summarily executed by the security forces in reprisal for the 6 police officers said to have been killed during the said riot by the hungry youths.
Our investigation further revealed that a lot of opposition supporters and members were targeted, some killed and dumped in unregistered government jeeps and taken away to unknown locations. In the case of Samuel Madanie Sesay, and Rugiatu Sesay this medium Investigation uncovered that he was a member of opposition party (APC) but he is being declared wanted because of his membership status of All People’s Congress and his role played as Chairman of the Wilberforce Youths Organization to help bring out people in number that took part on the August 10 protest. On one such occasion, one popular blogger and opposition party supporter in the Northern city of Makeni, commonly called Evangelist Samson, was shot in broad day light in front of shop in that city by combined security forces and thugs, and his body collected and taken away. As news of his death went viral, with video footages, the security forces had no alternative than to take his body to the mortuary in Makeni and latter to Freetown. Officials of the main opposition made open appeals to the international committee to intervene to stop the extra-judicial killings and arbitrary arrests of their members and supporters.
As the media pressed the police to comment on the arrests and disappearances of those youths, the media officer of the police explained that a list of wanted persons had been put up, but that there were also others that they are looking for, and will not relent until they are arrested and brought to book. In his comment on the riot of 10th August 2022, President Bio told the international media (BBC) that the protesters were terrorists and the main opposition party was behind the entire episode. This, many see, as the reason for the indiscriminate attacks, killings and arrests of known opposition party members and supporters. The police have put a bounty on the heads of the people they are looking for.
As we go to press, the whereabouts of Samuel Madanie Sesay and Rugiatu Sesay are still unknown, and family members are afraid that he may have been killed. Furthermore, many relatives of people killed during the riots by the security forces, have not been able to identify their loved ones at the country’s main mortuary, as the facility is under heavy police and military protection