February 11, 2021
By: John Abass Koroma (Port Loko)
Magistrate Elizabeth Massah Bangura Jalloh, who has been recently assigned to the Port Loko Judicial district, has on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 remanded sixteen suspects at the Port Loko Correctional Center.
The suspects are held for allegedly being in possession of substances believed to be cannabis sativa and another narcotic here callled‘Kush.’
The accused persons were arrested by the Sierra Leone Police under the command of the Northwest Assistant Inspector General of Police, Aiah Edward Samadia.
According to the Regional Media Officer, Sergeant Paul Hassan Turay, this arrest is in response to the rampant armed robbery incidents leading to the loss of lives and property, over the last few months in Port Loko district.
Sgt. Paul Hassan Turay said they raided ghettos across the district after they received enough intelligence about suspected criminal hideouts.
He said the 16 suspects were arrested with enough evidence during the police raids at Masiaka, Gberay Junction, Lunsar and Port Loko city.
Sgt. Turay also confirmed that they have sent 8 other accused persons for murder and other related criminal offences to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarter in Freetown. He noted that this is just one of many other strategies that are being put in place to combat crime in the region.
In his statement upon taking over the region in January 2021, AIG Aiah Samadia assured communities in the region that he will combat crime as well as the fear of crime. He however called on the community stakeholders and the general public to participate in community policing by providing useful information regarding crimes, especially armed robbery.
Meanwhile, the 16 sixteen accused persons are to appear in court by next week.
