November 9, 2021
By Hafsatu Z Bangura
The Sierra Leone Police have debunked social media claims of several incidents of kidnapping or abduction or missing persons happening in Sierra Leone.
According to Commissioner of Police, Regional Commander West, Victor Manfred Williams, they are all FAKE NEWS!
“All the alleged rumors of kidnapping and missing person cases reported, and doing the rounds on social media, have no substance of truth,” said Police Commissioner Williams.
He said for the issue at Goderich involving a fisherman, Police say two boys stole the fisherman’s money from his boat and ran. The fisherman ran after them, and one of the boys started shouting: ‘Keycha! Keycha!” (Kidnapper! Kidnapper!) to deviate the attention of onlookers to the fisherman as the bad person.
According to information gathered, the boys escaped and the fisherman was arrested by the crowd and beaten up. A tyre was put around his neck and he was going to be set ablaze when the Goderich police came to the rescue.
Police have arrested two people: one of the thieves, and one of the ring leaders involved in mobbing the fisherman, and they are both in police custody. The other one that raised the false alarm of ‘Keycha Keycha!’ is still on the run.
The two suspects will be charged to court, as well as the fisherman for stabbing a boy who was not involved in the theft he concluded.