Police Declares Morlai Osman Bangura Wanted
Report reaching this medium reveal that one Morlai Osman Bangura, residing in Wellington, Eastern Freetown, has been declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), for allegedly conspiring with others during the August 8th 9th 10 August 2022 protests, which turned violent, resulting in the deaths of 6 police officers and 35 civilians.
Investigation mounted by this medium revealed that Morlai Osman Bangura happened to be a Youth leader of the main opposition party, the All People’s Congress (APC), as he hails from the Northern region, which is the stronghold of the APC Party, and was accused of being one of the ring leaders that organized the August 8th to 10th riot, as the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government had associated that party with the protests. He is alleged to have been wearing a white T-Shirt with the inscription PPP (People’s Power in Politics), the group alleged to be behind the riot, with its leader, a popular social media blogger, Adebayor, who is also wanted in the country.
Against this backdrop, when the protest turned violent on August 10, the security forces, armed to the teeth, went on a rampage shooting protesters at point blank range. To make matters worse, known supporters of the main opposition party were targeted, with some of them shot in their homes, whilst others were taken away to unknown locations and never returned. As the situation became tense, a curfew as declared by the government.
Sources and video footages showed security forces breaking down doors of homes pointed out by ruling party youths, as residence of supporters of the main opposition party, and some of the inmates of those homes were man-handled and bundled into unregistered government jeeps and taken away.
The actions by the security forces were reported on social media and other channels, resulting in many known operatives and sympathizers of the main opposition party abandoning their homes for safer haven.
In the case of Morlai Osman Bangura, ruling party thugs, accompanied by security forces, stormed his residence, firing indiscriminately in the vicinity, in search of him and others believed to be his associates, but to no avail. He is said to have narrowly escaped death at the hands of the security forces by exiting through the back door into a densely populated neighborhood, where he made good his escape, and has since not returned.
According to eyewitnesses, Morlai Osman Bangura was seen running through the paths between the closely knitted houses in the neighborhood, pursued by ruling party youths and armed security forces, but since then, no news has been heard about his whereabouts.
Many missing persons of that protest have not been seen, whilst the government seem to downplay the numbers of the dead among civilians. There are many reports that many people were shot and carted away on the unregistered vehicles of the security forces, and their whereabouts have not been known. Relatives of missing persons have been afraid to confront the police to enquire about their loved ones, for fear of not being arrested on some trumped up charges of conspiracy. Even the main mortuary in Freetown was heavily guarded by armed police, preventing people from identifying their loved ones.
According to family sources, since the escape of Morlai Osman Bangura that fateful day of 10th August 2022, the police have continually raided their home and issuing death threats against anyone hiding him. They furthered that since that day, Morlai Osman Bangura had not returned and they are fearful of his safety.
Most Civil Society Activists have raised concern over the way and manner in which the police are going about arresting people, especially those that belong to the main opposition party, or are known to be supporters of the APC Party.
The police spokesman, in a press conference held at their headquarters, disclosed that a number of people have been declared wanted and a list prepared, but that some others are also wanted and are being sought after. They vowed to find them and bring them to justice. He refused to be drawn on reports of extra-judicial killings by the security forces.
The government of Sierra Leone’s Human Rights record is now questionable, as one can now count on the Pademba Road, Tombo, Lunsar, Mile 91 and the Makeni Killings, that have all raised eyebrows as to the government’s commitment to its National and international obligations.
As we go to press the whereabouts of Morlai Osman Bangura are still unknown, and he is even feared dead.
