The Times Sierra Leone
Reports reaching this medium state that one Samuel Stephen Kamara, who is the Public Relations Officer of Kontofili Youth Organization at Congo Wata , East of Freetown has been declared ‘Wanted Person’ 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 Stephen Kamara was within the vicinity of his house on the 11th August 2022, a day after the said riot, when news of a pending police raid in the area filtered through the community, and he is said to have returned to his house and alerted family members that 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 will come looking for him. Family sources continued that Samuel Kamara was in the house that fateful day (in the night), when 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 Stephen Kamara, but to no avail. They furthered that Stephen had escaped through the back door, when they heard the unregistered vehicle screech to a sudden halt outside their house. They furthered that they were beaten and threatened with death if they fail to produce Samuel Stephen Kamara. 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 Stephen Kamara, who spoke to this medium on basis of anonymity, said that when Stephen escaped from his house on the 11th August 2022, he sheltered him until the 14th August 2022, but that Samuel Stephen Kamara left his house, as there were indications that the security forces had embarked on a house to house search 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 oppostion supporters as well as members of the Kontofili 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 Stephen Kamara left his house on the 14th August 2022, his whereabouts are unknown. Family members also say that since Stephen Kamara left the house on the night of the 11th August 2022, he has not returned, nor do they have any idea of his whereabouts. They fear for his 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 mob.
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 Stephen Kamara, Times SL Investigation uncovered that he was not a member of any political but he is being declared wanted because of his membership status of Kontofili Organization and his role played as public relations officer 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 Stephen Kamara 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.