Police & Thieves on the streets
Sierra Leone is living under the shadow of armed robbers and thieves and what makes the situation grim is the inability of the police to take the situation under control.
Daily, the nation continues to experience the trauma and terror of gun toting robbers attacking people and carting away their valuables with impunity. The robbers meet no obstacle in carrying out their nefarious activities. Armed with automatic weapons and driving jeeps, the robbers are now attacking not in the middle of the night, but when everyone is up and around.
From the East to the West of the city of Freetown, in Bo, in Kenema, in Kono, in Port Loko, in Kambia and even Lungi, where our international airport is located has not been spared this open robbery.
The recent incident of armed robbery occurred at Dillet Street in Freetown where armed robbers charged into a shop and took away money while the whole world, so to speak watched. Peaceful residents of the city were minding their own business when they were rudely disrupted with the sound of automatic guns fired indiscriminately.
What has been realized is that the present government has failed to convince the people that they are able to provide security. The people of Sierra Leone, already traumatized as a result of a war are again faced with the dangerous situation of armed robbers ruling over their lives.
In such a scenario, the police have not been left out of the picture. Granted, the police have stated they are tied down because of lack of vehicles and other equipment. Also, the law enforcement officers have said they are doing their best and that various operations have been instituted to deal with the menace. But all this has not done justice to the situation.
Going through the reported cases, one can see a pattern emerging. In the first place, whenever armed robbers attack, there are no police seen, not even a lone constable. It is as if there is a secret agreement wherein police and thieves connive to ensure that each group does not meet the other while they are engaged in their operation.
In the eastern part of the city, armed robbers have a field day in perpetuating their crimes. They gun down people, they ransack houses, and pick and chose what they want, and they even have the time to rape women before going off with their loot.
The scenario of armed robbers having a free time is also seen in all their operations where they have repeatedly struck. The question therefore is, should we trust the police in protecting our life and property? The answer, it seems, is that there is no more public trust from the people.
Armed robbers seem to rule Sierra Leone, and they have alarmingly established an intrepid system whereby they seem to have established a lucrative business at the detriment of the people. The government of President Ernest Bai Koroma has failed to protect its own people from armed robbers.
The fear is not so much over armed robbers, as it is expected in any country, what is of concern is the inability of the government to even capture or intercept armed robbers. What is their secret?
The spate of armed robbery was never prevalent as it is now occurring. It was not as blatantly open as it is now, and the police were not so lackadaisical in pursuing armed robbers as it is now happening. The matter is not helped by the fact that the police, especially the OSD unit, see the present government as their own power in force.
The fact of the matter is that the police have fallen short of expectations and numerous cases account for this. The shooting of peaceful demonstrators in Kono, the shooting of peaceful demonstrators in Lungi, the lack of respect for civilians all show that there is a serious problem in Sierra Leone under the APC.
President Ernest Bai Koroma needs to come out of his cocoon and confront the problem.
The police have failed and by implication the police boss should be removed immediately. There is no need maintaining failures at the detriment of people’s lives. What we need is a proactive police force, which will have the right people instead of appointments based on political affiliations.
Mr. Acha Kamara has outlived his usefulness and should therefore be allowed to give way to a more fit Inspector General of Police.
The Police Council, headed by Vice President Sam-Sumana is also clearly not up to the job. A case of inefficiency and protracted delays before taking a single decision shows that the office of the Vice President is equally to be blamed for sitting complacently while the country is being held to ransom by armed hoodlums.
Of course for those in positions of power, protected with guns, they are free from the threat of armed robbers terrorizing their lives, but this protection is not extended to the general populace, and the belief is that after securing the politicians, the police go on the rampage as armed robbers and cart away the hard earnings of the people.
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