By Moses Thullah
The name Hannah Francess Kabia is a very popular in opposition circles against the current government formed by the Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP). Since her college years, Hannah has been closely associated with the Youth Wing of the All Peoples Congress (APC) party that has now being in opposition since 2018. The Kabia family in Sierra Leone is very much synonymous with the north of the country and is politically aligned with the All Peoples Congress (APC) party.
During the reign of the APC party, Hannah and her youth Comrades opened up advocacy for more youth involvement in politics and their consideration for holding in trust political power in the country’s governance systems and structures. Their main bane was political openness and pluralism and they discountenanced sexism and sexual equality in the distribution of power to the young. Hannah Francess Kabia was more focused on women and girls’ empowerment and equal treatment, which made her very popular among her peers. She was considered within her circle as a strategist and a very good planner.
The current SLPP government led by the current President Julius Maada Bio since coming to power in 2018 has fallen out of grace with majority of the citizens because of its repressive and vindictive approach to the nation’s economic and social issues. These apparent adverse socioeconomic policy redesigned and or redefined macro and micro economic policies are having adverse effects on the daily lives of the generality of the citizens, in particular, the youth.
It was these burning issues that culminated in the youth protest of 10th August, 2022 that was violently suppressed by government security forces.
In the thick and thin of the strategic planning of what was planned to be a peaceful protest was Hannah Francess Kabia. This protest which was planned as a peaceful protest against the government’s poor governance and harsh economic conditions, quickly turned deadly when state security forces violently moved in to suppress the agitating youth and some concerned women.
The Government’s reaction to the protest also quickly reframed the posture of the protesters and suddenly began displaying placards calling for the President to be removed” “Bio Must Go!”… “The SLPP has failed us” …”We want better life for us and our children” etc.
Acting behind the scene though, Hannah already known for her anti-government stands was easily spotted by some pro-government youth supporters who had joined the state security forces to help identify protesters. According to sources within the APC Youth wing, Hannah and a few colleagues were far away from the epicenter of the protest around State Avenue near State House when the protest turned violent and they were like trapped in the middle. Source said that as she was meandering her way out of the heated part of the protest, she was hit by an object right on her forehead above the eyes resulting in her fainting. Reports say when she later gained consciousness; she was in one of the Government Satellite Hospitals in the East end of Freetown surrounded by security personnel and some SLPP youth supporters cladded in green t-shirts carrying the party’s palm tree logo. The youths supporters were shouting: ‘Natin nor happen to ram’ (Nothing is wrong with her)…’Na dem dis’ (She is one of them) ‘Na dem dae plan dem kind thing ya against we gofment’ (They are the planners of these kinds of activities against our government).
However, the Doctor treating Hannah and some other injured people reportedly asked the mob to leave the ward where Hannah and the others were being treated and closed the door. As wounded protesters and fatalities continued to be brought in by first aid workers, the hospital at Rokupa became chaotic as family members also rushed in to identify the wounded and the dead. According sources, this youth activist must have cleverly escaped from the hospital with none of the guards and opponents identifying her for the second time.
Because Hannah is a very well-known personality as an opposition activist, rowdy and exuberant SLPP youths had behold gone to her family house in reaction to seeing Hannah out during the protest. The family house was targeted, pelted with stones shattering all window panes, the main doors were broken into and vital properties such as television and video player, musical set, chairs and personal effects were carted away. The family car that was parked in the foreyard of the compound was smashed beyond repairs. Even when the matter was reportedly reported to the police command at the Kissy Police Divisional headquarters, nothing substantial was done by the police even as the remained vacant and unlocked for over a week. Close neighbours are credited for providing security of the house until when normalcy returned and the Kabia family returned.
When this medium contacted the some members of the Kabia family well after the situation, this medium was reliably informed this medium that they were deliberately targeted by SLPP supporters and state security personnel all because of the political activities of Hannah. “If they had found her here, they would have killed her,” a family friend informed. The family friend narrated that one of Hannah’s uncles. Alimamy Kabia was killed by the youth mob that raided the house because he attempted to stand in their way as they rushed in shouting: “Way Hannah?”(Where is Hannah?”) … ”Way Hannah?”… (Where is Hannah”) …”We want ee hade” … (We want her head)
In the immediate aftermath of the August 10, 2022 incident, there were reports of several night raids and arrests and disappearances of perceived opposition youth activists led by the former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Lahi Lawrence Leeman. There were reports of a list of wanted opposition youths that had names of youths of the opposition APC party which undoubtedly included the name of Hannah Francess Kabia. Dozens of the plethora of opposition youths arrested on and after the August 10 incident still remain unaccounted for even though family members continue to raise concerns about their wellbeing and safety. Those that remain elusive and not being reached remain on the SLPP wanted list. A number of youth have been lately arrested for their alleged participation in the August 10 protest.
Hannah cannot be a an exception to any such arrests and possible disappearance given her strategic role in the planning of the protest. This renders her safety and protection against form of arbitrary arrest and detention highly possible.
This essentially, is a pointer that like many high-profile APC youth activists who have mysteriously disappeared under the custody of the police, Hannah safety and security remains precarious and quite fluid if she resurfaces in Sierra Leone with the SLPP still in power.