By Pat Kawa in Bo
Police officers attached at the Criminal Investigations Department of the Bo West Division are currently investigating forty six prison inmates and four prison officers of the Bo Correctional Centre over a case of torture that resulted to the death of one prison inmate, Brima Juana.
According to report, Brima Juana was serving a one year sentence at the Bo Correctional Centre. He had shared prisons cells with forty six inmates in Mano Block. This is the cell where he was allegedly tortured on 3rd April 2019 by his colleague prison mates.
The inmates under investigation include Abdulai Jalloh, leader of Mano Block, Hassan Kamara, Saidu Kargbo, Henry Mattia, aka Heavy Weight, Mohamed Ndoinge, aka Scorpay, Santigie Kargbo, Sahr Comba, aka MP1, Eric Johnson, Ibrahim Bangura, aka Man Power, and Alpha Bao, among others.
The prison officers include Ibrahim Kelley, Sheku Dubumya, Foday Prince Sellu and shift commander, Augustine Morie Ebanda.
Regional Police Media Officer South, Inspector Foday Musa Fofanah, explained that, on 3rd April, 2019, a blind prison inmate, Umaru Ernest, was urinating when the deceased rushed on him, grabbed and squeezed his penis. When this happened a serious tussle ensued between the two. The blind inmate called for help from colleague inmates, which they succeeded in doing.
Inspector Foday Musa Fofanah said the deceased, Brima Juana, further went and grabbed the penis of another inmate, which sent the other inmates in disarray and restlessness throughout the night.
Reports further state that, the leader of Mono Block, commonly known as Red Ban, had to call the attention of the second in command of the Bo Correctional Centre to open the cell door in order to bring sanity into the cell.
The second in command turned down the request, noting that it was a ploy by the inmates to escape from the cell. It is reported that, the second in command, because of the unusual behavior of the inmates, instructed the inmates to tie up the deceased until the following morning. According to him, the police could not open the cell door at night until the following morning.
After receiving such instruction, report revealed that, without wasting time, the inmates descended on the deceased and tortured him, through which he sustained injuries on his body. The following morning the deceased was found helpless and was immediately taken to the Bo Government Hospital where he eventually died on 4th April 2019.
The postmortem examination conducted by Dr. Owis Koroma revealed that the deceased suffered intra cerebral hemorrhage, skull fracture and blunt force trauma and head injury. The report also shows the dislocation, fracture of the cervical vertebrae and fracture of the right hand.
Investigation conducted by the nightwatch revealed that statements have been obtained from the Bo Correctional Centre’s outgoing manager, Superintendent Mohamed Opito Jimmy, regional Health Officer, Mrs. Theresa Linda Bangura, Camp master, and Idrisa Kargbo, including Centre nurse, Abubakarr Dumbuya respectively.