By; Sulaiman Jalloh
Chernor Bah, Information and Civic Education Minister, has said the security incident on Sunday, November 26th 2023, was a failed coup attempt to unseat the democratically elected government of President Maada Bio.
According to the Information Minister, the act of breaking into the armoury at Wilberforce Military Barracks and attacking of prisons and police stations has been proven to be a failed coup attempt, according to investigations done by security forces, noting that some of the leaders of the “coup attempt” have been arrested and are now under custody helping with investigations.
The disclosure was made by the Information Minister at a press conference held on Tuesday, November 28th, 2023, in which heads of the Sierra Leone Police, Sierra Leone Correctional Service, and the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces were in attendance to update the public on Sunday’s incident.
Minister Bah announced that there were twenty-one deaths recorded, of which are fourteen members of the Armed Forces, one from the Sierra Leone Police, one correctional officer, one private security, and one female, adding that fourteen have been arrested, including thirteen military officers and one civilian.
Highlighting a few of the raids and arrests, Lieutenant General Patrick K. Lavahun, the chief of defense staff of RSLAF, said three RPGs and six bombs apprehended, adding that those arrested are in custody.
Colonel Sheikh Sulaiman Massaquoi, the acting Director General of Sierra Leone Correctional Service, said many persons of interest have been arrested while others are on the run.
Security authorities said most of the attackers were security guards who were with the former President Earnest Bai Koroma.
Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Wednesday, November 29th, 2023 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)