Yusifu Alhaji Barrie Narrowly Escapes Death From Police & Youths
Reports reaching this medium from the northern town of Mile 91, states that the former Regent Chief, Yusifu Alhaji Barrie, narrowly escaped death at the hands of thugs belonging to the ruling party, a move alleged to have been orchestrated by supporters of the Newly Elected Paramount Chief, who is a known member of the ruling SLPP party, in collusion with the Sierra Leone Police.
According to close associates of Yusifu Alhaji Barrie, he is the elected Vice Chairman of Tonkolili Youth Council in a peaceful and democratic election held on 15th May, 2019, and was appointed Regent Chief of Yoni Mamailla Chiefdom on the 26th October, 2020 by the Ministry of Local Government.
According to our source, Yusifu Alhaji Barrie was in good relationship with the police after his appointment as Regent Chief, but things turned sour as a result of the riot that took place between the bike riders and the police on the 12th April, 2022 in Mile 91. It was also disclosed that Yusifu Alhaji Barrie, being the outgoing Regent Chief, who had held the mantle of leadership in the township in the absence of an elected Paramount Chief, had built an amicable relationship with the people and Commercial Bike Riders, thus as news of the arrest of some bike riders by the Mile 91 Police went around, the other members surfaced at his home and prevailed on him to mediate between them and the Police, with a view to securing the release of their colleagues, as they were to be charged to court, craving for His intervention, since he was the first gentleman of the Chiefdom by then.
It was also disclosed that when Yusifu Alhaji Barrie went to the police station to engage them on the matter, he was given deaf ears and asked to leave the station. According to family sources, whilst at home, they heard gun shots in the entire township and news quickly spread that the bike riders were trying to prevent the police from relocating their colleagues to the district head quarter town of Magburaka. The police then accused him of inciting the riders to go on the rampage, especially as he had been seen in their company when he visited the station to engage the police for the release of their colleagues. After the incident was put under control, he was invited for questioning; from that point Yusifu Alhaji Barrie started having problems with the police.
However, as Regent Chief, his tenure was not long, as he was only acting in the place of a Paramount Chief (PC), but with the election of a new Paramount Chief, he had to hand over the mantle of leadership to him. It was also disclosed that on the very day he handed over the staff to the newly elected PC, some thugs of the ruling party to which the new PC belonged, attacked his residence in the night, claiming that he was an ardent supporter of the rival candidate of the main opposition All People’s Congress Party (APC) for the said election, who lost to the newly elected PC, and therefore a traitor.
Our source furthered that during the attack, the youths burnt down the house of Yusifu Alhaji Barrie, who is said to have escaped with his wife, Aminata Kabia, children, Salimatu Barrie and Mohamed Barrie and Brother Ishmael Myelo Barrie from the house. Eye witnesses explained that whilst the youths were ransacking the house, some armed police were seen in the surrounding.