Abdul and Others Evade Capture

The Sierra Leone police have declared Abdul Fattah Rahman Terry, whose photograph appears above, and several others as wanted individuals. A warrant of arrest has been issued by the Sierra Leone magistrate court in Freetown.

The protest on August 10 was one of the most severe in Sierra Leone’s history since independence. It primarily took place in the capital, Freetown, and in the northern regions, particularly in Makeni and Kamakwie.

Triggered by the nation’s cost of living crisis, protestors called for President Bio’s resignation. Following the protest, Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh issued a nationwide curfew order.

The government alleges that the protest resulted in the deaths of over 27 civilians, including 6 police officers, and extensive damage to both private and government properties. President Bio accused the opposition of financing the protest and specifically pointed fingers at Adebayor, a Sierra Leonean citizen based in Holland.

State security forces accused Abdul Fattah Rahman Terry, a resident of 64 Mountain Cut in Freetown, and his wife of involvement in organizing the Freetown protest and implicated them in the killing of police officers.

During the August 10, 2022 protest, Abdul’s brother and wife were beaten and arrested, but Abdul’s brother’s wife managed to escape custody. They have since been declared wanted by the Sierra Leone police.

Since the SLPP government came to power in 2018, supporters of the main opposition APC have faced intimidation, harassment, arrests, and loss of life in opposition strongholds. Many have been incarcerated for merely criticizing the government.

At present, those on the government’s wanted list have gone into hiding, fearing arrest and prosecution. Abdul and others remain at large, their whereabouts unknown, as they evade capture by the police.