By Janet A Sesay
The Paramount Chief of Marampa Chiefdom in Lunsar, PC Bai Kobolo Queen 11, continued his testimony yesterday before Magistrate Hannah Bonnie of Court No.1 against thirty (30) accused who were alleged to have killed one Alie Kabia during the riot at Lunsar town, where they also set ablaze vehicles belonging to the chief. The Lunsar Police Station was also set ablaze.
The accused include Mohammed Kanu, Alhaji Musa Bangura, Anthony Fofanah, Fonti Sankoh, Ishmael Mansaray, Bai Kamara, Yusuf Jalloh, Foday Kabia, Osman Karankay Conteh, Yusuf Kabia and twenty others, including a woman called Sawadatu Bangura.
Led in evidence by state prosecutor, Adrian Fisher, Chief Koblo said he became Paramount Chief in 2002 as the youngest paramount chief in Sierra Leone and has served for 18 years.
He said, on that day, his nephew, Alie Kabia, was chased outside of his compound by the accused and was mutilated and killed outside his fence.
He added that, on that very day, he was inside his house when he saw some of the accused jumping into his compound through the fence. He said the accused opened the gate and entered the compound and started putting fire on his vehicles that were inside the compound. They also pelted stones on his house, shouting that they wanted to kill him.
He said some of the vehicles burnt by the accused include his Range Rover Spot, with registration number PCQ 002, valued at $80,000, Mercedes Spot, with registration number ATE 266, valued at $70,000, ten tyres trucks and other valuable items were also burnt. All these items sum up to eleven billion, two hundred and thirty-nine million Leones (Le 11,239,000,000).
He said after all these damages, he was rescued by some security personnel from Makeni. He added that the incident lasted for four hours. He said that the body of his nephew was taken to the Lunsar Police Station and later taken to the Connaught Hospital for postmortem examination.
He said since then he was unable to go to Lunsar town.
During cross examination by defense counsel J.M. Jengo the witness said, as Paramount Chief, he was supposed to maintain peace and stability in the community. He said, during the incident, he jumped over his fence to seek refuge from his neighbor, Mamie Koroma.
He continued that the accused searched his house to find him but he was not there. “That is why they got hold of my nephew and killed him”.
When asked if he was a traditional healer by defense counsel he replied in the positive.
He said, as a Paramount Chief, he believes in democracy, and he is responsible for appointing leaders in his community. He added that he always listened to the voice of elders in the community.
He said, for the past thirty days, he was under treatment because blood was oozing out of his ears due to the jump he made trying to escape from the accused. He furthered that he used a ladder to jump over his fence for rescue.
He said that the reason for the riot was because of the head man’s selection, which the people of the community said that they did not favor that person.
At this juncture, another defence counsel, Lansana Dumbuya, asked for an adjournment in order for him to do further consultation with his client, who is the fourteenth accused.
His application for an adjournment was granted by Magistrate Hannah Bonnie, and the matter was adjourned to 14 July 2020 for further cross examination by L. Dumbuya Esq.