Exultation of Armed Robbery Arrests: Hatred Policing or Mischaracterization Aligned with the Struggle for Police Leadership
While Police Inspector Abass of Operational Security Division (ODS) aka SSD is on the run in an effort to elude prosecution, 24 civilian suspects, one military personnel and two police officers including Assistant Superintendent of Police, Bayo Bangura have been detained at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Freetown in connection with alleged rampant armed robberies. In a telephone conversation in the small hours of Saturday November 21 this year, a senior police officer who doesn’t want his name to be branded in this report emphasized that the arrests were not based on any witch hunt. A senior administrator at police headquarters reiterated that the police department has been doing its best to apprehend the armed thieves but all previous attempts had failed because of the support that the robbers were getting from deceitful police officers such as ASP Bayo Bangura and cronies.
Sources from the SLP Head Quarters noted that residents and business owners in the city of Freetown and its surroundings are expected to start enjoying their normal sleeping life without fear of armed robbers as the result of these successful joint-police operations that seemingly brought the rampant armed robberies to a halt.
Since the last quarter of 2007 immediately after the APC administration of President Koroma assumed office, the police informant underscored, the lives of business people and well-to-do citizens have been encountering frightening moments because of fear of not knowing when and where armed robbers will attack. The fear of armed robbers caused many international businesses and some tourists to suspend business visits to Sierra Leone. It is yet unclear why those officers sworn to uphold the laws of the land, while protecting the lives and properties of the citizenry will be so tied to an act similar to that of domestic terrorism. Investigators, politicians, journalists and all those concerned to hear the truth and see that justice prevails should refrain from finger pointing and speculations about why arrests were not successful in earlier attempts.
It’s absurd to imagine that the alleged police suspects for selling weapons to the now detained armed robbery suspects were never arrested earlier as the result of their connections with any higher or highest authority in the police force. These guys (police suspects in this raid) were never arrested because there had been no evidence or suspicion that suggested their involvement in any arms deal with thieves prior to the current allegations. Whosoever will suggest such malicious assertion, purporting that ASP Bayo Bangura was not arrested based on the fear of his connections with authorities should be interrogated for concealing dangerous information of police interest. That officer, if any should be questioned as to what he/she knows, when did s/he know it and why didn’t s/he communicate that information to the appropriate authorities. Any officer who can testify that s/he had known that ASP Bayo Bangura was involved in what is now alleged against him should face disciplinary actions because it constitutes one of the elements of miscarriage of vital police information.
SLP sources said on the morning of this call that one of the suspects, Police Inspector Abass is being hunted by the Police because he refused to report himself for interrogation instead he fled his area of deployment. In addition, Insp. Abass is considered armed and dangerous.
The anti-armed robbery Joint-Task Force headed by officials of the Sierra Leone Police Force’s Intelligence Wing (SLPFIW) who led the arrests is lauded for work well done.
Sierra Leone has been in a state of turmoil for many years as the result of the 1991 rebels’ incursion that resulted in a civil war that lasted for over 11 obdurate years. As such, there is no doubt that the war fueled criminality in an already impoverished nation and it ultimately gave criminals free access to weapons of all sorts. Therefore, it appears very baffling to the general public as to why should earlier police failures in the direction of arresting armed robbers, accomplishes to the alleged crimes and their alleged suppliers of weapons be cunningly blamed on the so-called connections of suspects in police custody? And why should the police be delightful regarding arrests made in the absence of the head of the police department? Why should police officers be quoted of being happy, while recommending AIG Lengor as the most fit officer to head the police as the result of arrests of armed robbers and officers accused of selling weapons to thieves? Isn’t all those maligning tactics reminiscent of a plot against the IG by AIG Morie Lengor? It appears as if AIG Lengor has brainwashed his loyalists, thus, they are rallying in support of the successful arrests of alleged armed robbers but at the same time they are blackmailing and decrying the Inspector General of Police. It seems as if AIG Lengor is very anxious to become Inspector General of Police, therefore, he is pursuing all efforts that will taint the good image of IG Acha Kamara. If Lengor was the Lengor I know as AOU police who trained with late VAL Bangura, I’ll not hesitate to say that his over anxiety for police leadership is the main cause for sabotaging his ranks and seniors.
Imagine, for barely arresting armed thieves is now being utilized toward unnecessarily attacking the IG’s family connections with former OSD boss, Commissioner David Sesay. If Lengor and cohorts are not venomous administrators like the green serpent in the field of green grass, there is no need to provoke the IG’s relationships with Pa David and the current OSD boss, Director Koffi T.T. Kamara. What is ambiguous about these arrests that appear to be prompting AIG Lengor to go wacky in an attempt to mobilize his loyalists against the IG? It is silly to overemphasize that ‘just in two weeks after he took over office, AIG Lengor has changed the police. What changes did over ambitious Lengor bring to the Police? Is mere arresting of armed robbers, while hunting their alleged associates a change in police administration or just a successful operation?
As a university graduate, AIG Lengor ought to know and behave better. Did Lengor take over office or is he acting? Something appears to be wrong with AIG Lengor that is why he appears to be upholding his outmoded mentality that he developed from training school, which mindset is very power conflict-ridden. Is Lengor and his dreadful associates against the IG and his family members trying to arrest and prosecute suspected armed robbers or he intends to persecute the IG in order to quench his self centeredness?  Lengor needs to slow down his speed for the hot seat of the nation’s Inspector Generalship or else he will crash.
A careful examination on AIG Lengor’s orchestrated police euphoria undoubtedly pinpoints that AIG Lengor has been undermining the Administration of IG Acha Kamara. AIG Lengor could have just arrested the suspects and shut up his lousy mouth instead of braggingly masterminding to capsize IG Acha Kamara’s leadership. Truly, AIG Lengor will continue with his undermining activities in order to influence political leaders to promote him to the rank of IG.
Eddie K Stanley, USA
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