By Ilyasa Baa
The killing of a security ex-combatant at the banking facility of the Farmer’s Services Association and the burning of one of the oldest school structures, Kailahun District Community School, recently, in Jawie Chiefdom, Daru have led to panic among residents of the chiefdom.
These unfortunate incidences have left the Paramount Chief of Jawei and his people worried to the point that they want Government to deploy ‘boots on the ground’ with a view to adequately protect the people of Jawei and their property.
PC Kallon described the current security situation as very much deplorable to the point that businessmen and other investors have moved to cosmopolitan chiefdoms. This has created unbearable economic hardship for the over fifty thousand (50,000) inhabitants of the chiefdom. Easter and Independence holidays/celebrations and other social events had been observed in a very low key fashion in the area.
The Paramount Chief noted that Mohamed Bah, a businessman, had been attacked twice by armed robbers in Daru and nothing was being done by the Police to keep the bad guys away from the chiefdom, he stated.
According to PC Kallon, the number of police officers deployed in his chiefdom is not commensurate to the population size of the chiefdom.
As an immediate security measure, the Paramount Chief has created a sizable group of Community Security Volunteers to patrol the length and breadth of the chiefdom, especially at night.
He reported that the Police officers were not with these guys on the first night of the patrols a week ago, as previously arranged with the Operations Officer at the Daru Police Division. He said the CSVs need police presence for effective security provision in the chiefdom.
PC Kallon has made a clarion call on the New Direction government to make it possible for Paramount Chiefs and Town Chiefs to possess guns for their safety.
He said the need for guns is not born out of any ulterior motive but for self-defense purposes considering the sporadic attacks taking place in the Eastern Province.
Operation Officer, Daru Police Division, ASP Momoh Conteh, informed this medium that two officers are deployed with the Community Security Volunteers (CSVs) in every one of the five zones covering the chiefdom. He said they are not stopping anyone to possess a gun but that anyone who thinks he needs a gun should use the legal means by possessing a license for the gun he is carrying. He maintained that no one has been arrested since the CSVs were set up for the night patrols.
Meanwhile, four people have been arrested over the burning of the Kailahun District Community School, which took place at night two weeks ago, whilst no suspect was arrested over the bank robbery.
Officials of the bank said the bank was empty as the monies were not kept in the bank for security reasons. It was said that less than a million leones was carted away and the ex-military personnel, it was speculated, had tried to resist the attackers but could not match their strength, leading to multiple stabbings that led to his untimely death, yet no arrest has been made.
It could be recalled that community banks in the District have seen nine raids by armed robbers. A resident of Daru, N’gor Lahai, said President Bio should try by all means to make Daru and its surroundings peaceful again. He said they are expecting a lot of promised goodies from the government, noting that President Bio mentioned the construction of only three roads in the entire chiefdom, which is faced with security and bread and butter issues.