NewsRescue
Following an attack on a military base in the West African country, President Julius Maada Bio declared a statewide curfew on Sunday.
According to his statement, in the early hours of Sunday, a gang of armed individuals penetrated security at the Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown and attempted to break into an arms storage. He stated that security forces were able to bring the situation under control.
“As the combined team of our Security Forces continue to root out the remnant of the fleeing renegades, a nationwide curfew has been declared and citizens are encouraged to stay indoors,” the commander-in-chief stated. He also urged individuals to get together to “protect democracy.”
According to the Sierra Leone Telegraph, the attackers were “a group of unidentified soldiers and police officers” who were able to seize “heavy weapons.” Gunshots then rang out in the area, including near the nearby presidential residence, before the armed group moved on to Freetown Central Prison and broke out a number of inmates, “many of whom have been held without trial for several years, including political prisoners.”
According to an anonymous top official, the Freetown Central Prison was left unlocked and several detainees fled. The BBC reported the same information, citing a facility official.
Videos supposedly depicting escaped prisoners rushing through the streets have gone viral on social media, but their veracity is questionable, and no official response has been issued.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has condemned the storming of the Freetown military barracks, calling it “a plot by certain individuals to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in Sierra Leone.”
Sierra Leone’s political environment has been unpredictable since President Bio’s re-election in June, which garnered condemnation from the opposition and civil society.
