In a bid to take his constitutional mandate to provide representation for his people, Hon. Hassan Sankoh, Member of Parliament representing Constituency 049, Tonkolili District, northern Sierra Leone, has been confronted with a complex situation, as he offers himself to mediate on a tragic dispute between village farmers, cattle rearers and the Sierra Leone Police at Mamanoh Village, Khokifa Mamunta-Mayosoh Chiefdom, Mayosoh Section, Tonkolili District.
Sgt. A. Kamara, Administrative Officer, Magburaka Police Division, Support Officer and Operations Officer, said the disappearance of their colleague is the most woeful tragedy that has ever befallen them in Tonkolili District.
The Magburaka Police urged the MP to use the respect and trust the people have for him to know the whereabouts of the missing police officer, and discouraged lawlessness because the district, as a whole, has recorded six killings so far this year, which, they say, is scary and worrisome.
“We have searched everywhere for our personnel for ten days now, but to no avail. We have been doing random arrests to get someone to give us intelligence on the status of the missing officer but none of them, eighteen in all, is talking.”
According to Sgt. A. Kamara, they are in a troubling situation and under pressure by the deceased relatives. Out of frustration, the relatives stormed their station, pelting stones, furious about not knowing the whereabouts of their missing relative.
He explained that the police are in a state of dilemma to go and present a token of sympathy to the family.
He informed that the suspects have not said anything, adding that it seems as if they have sworn an oath not to talk,” the Police said.
The Police insisted that it is only and unless, when the people produce their colleague or tell them about his status of life or death, when they will cease to conduct untimely and unannounced raiding in the village.
The Police however expressed appreciation to Hon. Sankoh for his intervention. According to them, the community does not respect their Regent Chief and other authorities.
In could be recalled that farmers at Mamanoh Village have been encountering disturbances from cows eating and destroying their plantations, and this has been brewing unabatedly and sparking minor clashes between famers and cattle rearers.
According to Police accounts, the situation has been causing serious fighting among the two parties, wounding, killing of cows and burning of bushes.
However, sometimes ago, the situation degenerated with the reported fatal killing of one local farmer.
After the killing of this farmer, the villagers had understandably held a bitter grudge for not only the killing of one of them, but the fact that no one was convicted for what the Police ascribed to as lack of sufficient evidence.
The Police said that, on the 17th March, 2020, they received a report of alleged cattle theft from Fullah cattle rearers for which they issued several invitations to the villagers of Mamanoh village, but the people refused to honor their invitations.
The Police said that, upon going to the village to inform the Regent Chief and other authorities of the villagers’ defiance, the people allegedly went haywire, obstructing them with insults and stiff resistance.
Magburaka Police Crime Officer and Support Officer said, while at Mamanoh Village, someone from amidst the villagers slapped one of the Policemen, who they knew and had identified, when he was taking the several turned down invitations from them. “Everyone in the village was attacking the officers, except babies,” the Crime Officer expressed solemnly in anguish.
The Police said that “the entire village went riotous; pelting stones, hitting the officers with sticks, damaging our vehicle’s windscreen and chasing them away from performing their duty.”
The Police also said, during the process of retreating, one of the six officers, Sergeant Alfred, got missing. They however expressed fear that he may have been kidnapped or killed by the villagers.