By Janet A. Sesay
Major General Dauda Alpha, the Commander of the Joint Force at the Cockerill Headquarters, on Friday, 5th April, 2024, before Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba and Members of the Board in his testimony stated that his Closed Protection Officer, Sergeant Marrah, was beheaded by an RPG blast on his vehicle in the Murray Town area.
He further testified that Sergeant Marrah’s head was smashed to pieces, adding that Marrah left behind a four month old baby and a lactating mother.
Led in evidence by Captain Yainkain Ballay Kamara, the witness said he was enlisted into the Armed Forces in 1991, adding that he has served the country as a military officer for 33 years.
He said he is ranked as a Major General and operates at the operational level, noting that he is currently deployed at the Cockerill Headquarters (HQ).
Major General Alpha said his role is to supervise the conduct of all RSLAF officers across the nation.
He added that his role is also to ensure that there is logistics support, capacity training, both local and international, and overseeing the general administration and welfare of the RSLAF. He said as a commander he issues verbal and written commands to officers.
He recognised Lieutenant Colonel C. A. M. Yamba, the seventeenth accused, adding that he was deployed at Fifth Battalion, Wilberforce, as commanding officer.
The witness recalled that on 25th November, 2023, at around 18hrs00 he was at Cockerill HQ in his office checking the files of military officers.
He said while going through the files he received a call from the security agent that an unknown individual made a claim that there was a pending attack in the capital city, Freetown.
He furthered that upon getting that information he immediately called Lieutenant Col. Tommy and he laid the message to him for him to ascertain the veracity of the received information.
He said he also called the commander of the Quick Reaction Force that he should muster his team and address them to remain alert.
He said further more he called his Principal Staff, Col. Aiah Bundu, and his Deputy Chief of Staff, Col. M. M. Kosowa, ordering them to also summon other officers such as Col. C. M. Bangura and Col. Wilfred Sam among others.
He said additionally he called three other Brigade Commanders who were out of the jurisdiction, and ended up sending Lieutenant Col. Sannoh, Lt. Col. Sandi, Major Gasama and Col. S. M. Daramy to attend the meeting on his behalf.
General Alpha furthered that he then told his Chief of Operation to call the seventeenth accused for him to attend the meeting he had summoned.
He said as Joint Force Commander he has the privilege to call his commanders when necessary. While in the meeting, the General said the seventeenth accused showed up, adding that the meeting was held at the court, not in his office.
General Alpha said he had known accused Yamba for years as they attended the same church, adding that when accused Yamba was appointed as Commander of Fifth Battalion, he admonished him on his roles and out of abundant caution he orientated him that ‘the Fifth Battalion is Freetown’s defence area’.
He further that on that faithful evening when accused Yamba came for the meeting he alighted from his personal vehicle and quickly updated him that a report was received from an unknown assailant that there was a pending attack in Freetown.
The witness furthered that he told accused Yamba not to sit in the meeting but should immediately go to his unit and put his soldiers on standby, ensuring that he provides formidable security within the premises of his arms and ammunitions store.
He said having issued that order he dismissed him and the meeting continued with the other officers, adding that at the meeting, he further instructed late Lieutenant Col. Samai to call all formations and unit commanders and to put their names on red alert. He went on that he then told them to ensure the safety and security of their arms and ammunitions stores across the RSLAF units.
He said the decision he made from the meeting was to give verbal orders for a joint RSLAF – Sierra Leone Police patrol, adding that he told Brigadier Idara Bangura to link up with AIG Brima Jah so a robust night patrol would be conducted at the Police Headquarters at George Street.
He said the instruction was very clear and Brima Jah responded to the joint patrol and they unanimously agreed that the SLP area should be an assay area.
He furthered that in that meeting, he deliberately directed his Chief of Staff to lead the patrol team and for him to ride with the SLP at George Street for them to cover both the western and eastern parts of the city.
He said he told the east wing to cover right up to Jui, and for the western areas he told them to cover as far as Mile 13, adding that the patrol team set out at around 21hrs00.
He said while they were out of the Cockerill Headquarters the remaining soldiers were placed on standby waiting further directives.
He said the patrol team returned at around 01hr30 in the morning and he ordered that nobody should go home, that they should be on standby until morning hours.
He said while on standby at 03hrs30 that morning they heard a blast and he quickly called accused Yamba on two occasions but he was unreachable, adding that he directed Col. Sami to reach out to him. Accused Yamba eventually told them that his armoury was under attack by unknown assailants.
The witness said he ordered Major Gasama to provide reinforcement to beef up his number.
He continued that before he left, he verbally ordered Col. Kosowa to hold on to Cockerill Barracks, and defend it at all cost.
He said based on that information he left to the other targets of interest, which are the Pademba Road Prison and Joint Logistics Unit at Murray Town, where he ordered Col. Jah, his Chief of Staff, and Col Samai to join his team, after which they departed.
He said upon arrival at Pademba Road Prison he admonished his team to be vigilant and he went and did a search at the prison after which they dashed to Murray Town.
He said while going to Murray Town he admonished the troops to be vigilant and to ensure that the assailants should not access their areas.
The General said he later went to Cockerill Headquarters and upon arrival Col. Kosowa, whom he ordered to secure the Cockerill Headquarters, told him that Major Gasama had sustain injuries and had been taken to Emergency for treatment.
He said he was concerned about the welfare of the men in charge and that prompt him to go to the scene at Wilberforce Barracks to evaluate the security process.
He said he left with three vehicles and two additional officers and at that moment he instructed late Col. Samai to take the lead in driving and he was in the middle.
He said he tactically told late Col. Samai to divert the route by using the Wilkinson Road axis.
He said upon arrival at Wilberforce he instructed his personnel to dismount from the vehicle and they walked on foot, adding that getting to the Officers’ Mess junction, they were spotted by the assailants and the assailants used the overhead bridge and started raining different types of weapons on them and at that point they froze.
He said at that moment his concern was about accused Yamba who was the commanding officer and to locate where he was.
He furthered that he called him on his phone on two occasions but was unreachable and he directed Major Hindolo to get him and during their conversation accused Yamba said he was not within the Wilberforce Barracks but was in the 34 Hospital premises and from that point he told him to meet him at the Officers’ Mess junction which he did with other soldiers.
The witness said out of curiosity he asked accused Yamba about his men but his excuse about them was unexplainable and during that period he saw three to four soldiers who were killed and he told accused Yamba to join them to attack the assailants, which he did.
He said they made positive advances towards the assailants but they were still within the armoury.
The Major General said as a commander while the assailants were raining all types of weapons on them, he divided his team into two: one was at the Mess junction and other officers used the back of the armoury store, adding that at the end of the day both teams shattered the armoury.
The witness furthered that while they continued the mopping up operation at Wilberforce, he received a distress call from Col. Kosowa and he told him that Cockerill Headquarters was under attack and the assailants were at the gate.
He said at that moment he disengaged and asked Brigadier General Bangura to continue the operation at Wilberforce, and asked late Col. Samai again to join him, adding that they both left with two vehicles using the same route from Hill Cut Road and came down to Congo Cross.
He said upon arrival at Congo Cross he saw police vehicles and he quickly alighted from his vehicle and asked them for Delta One, whom he didn’t see, adding that after several enquires he and Col. Samai proceeded to the Cockerill HQ.
He said a few metres from Cockerill their vehicles were ambushed by the assailants.
The Major General said his vehicle was targeted and they launched an RPG blast on his vehicle, adding that it was smashed beyond recognition.
He said his close bodyguard, Marrah, who served him for 20 years, died to save his life. He said when the RPG was blasted, the vehicle came to a halt and he dashed down the vehicle, crawled to a culvert at the side of the road from where he observed and saw that the assailants were in military attire. He said the assailants were aggressive and there was progressive firing.
Major General Alpha added that after the RPG blast on his vehicle, the assailants rushed to the vehicle to check if he was dead.
He said he sustained a very deep cut in his lower abdomen and that his bodyguard’s brain was smashed.
He furthered that at that point while lying down on the floor he saw late Col. Samai crawling but the forces of the assailants kept him muted.
He said he was bleeding profusely, that his entire uniform got soaked and he saw blood clots coming from the wound but that the assailants’ number was increasing and the soldiers did all they could to salvage the situation, though they were overpowered by the assailants.
Major General Alpha said with the intensive nature of his wounds he was taken to the 34 Military Hospital.
He said at the hospital the scanning showed that he had deep fragments in his abdomen, which surgery no doctor in Sierra Leone can perform, adding he had to seek medical attention overseas.
He said while overseas for treatment the doctor who operated on him went on for three hours. He said the fragment was removed and it was very painful as he had never experienced such a pain before.
The medical report and photos of the witness’s vehicle and pictures of his wounds were tendered in court to form part of the prosecution’s case.
The witness was cross examined by defence counsel Julian Cole on behalf of the seventeenth accused. Lawyer Charlie Williams and I. Mansaray cross examined the witness on behalf of other accused persons.
The matter comes up today for further hearing.