By: PROBLYN J. ALPHA
One year six months old baby girl, Esther Lebbie of Kombaya Village in Gbense Chiefdom, Kono District is reported to have been lost and found.
According to the line Manager of the Family support Unit Tankoro Police Divisional Headquarters in Koidu City Deputy Superintendent of Police Sahr Denise Gborie who led a team of Police officers from the Criminal Investigation Department of the aforementioned Police Division to Kombaya Village where the child was reported missing in order to investigate the said matter on the mandate of the Local Unity Commander (LUC) noted that on the 2nd February, 2022, the Biological mother of the one year 6 months old Baby girl Kumba Solomon had her daughter on her back whilst working in her garden nearby the said Village.
She added that the girl slept off and decided to take her back to the Village in care of her good neighbor who was identified as Sia Hawa Lebbie. DSP Gborie maintained that after the girl was laid on the bed of the care taker, she continued sleeping but later woke up and joined her fellow toddlers who were playing in front of the caretaker’s house.
The continued that whilst a group of young women were cooking and after all of them present at the house of the caretaker ate the food and the kids continue playing whilst three of the young women who cooked the yams left to fetch water from a nearby stream leaving one Bondu Saquee at the place where the kinds were playing.
The Tankoro Family Support Unit Boss pointed out that after some time, the caretaker and others present at her place discovered that the girl was missing adding that they straight off went in search of her, but to no avail on that fateful day. He said it was on the following day when a ten year old boy from the neighboring village told his parents that when coming from the farm, he heard the cry of a child in the bush.
Meanwhile, upon arriving at the said place, the one year six months old baby girl was found with multiple of wounds on her body by what the traditional people called bush blade.
Mr. Gborie maintained that the girl was later taken to his office where a medical request form was issued and referred to the rainbow office for examination and treatment while Bondu Saquee and her husband’s elder brother Komba Lebbie are in Police custody helping them in the investigation.
Responding to questions as to why only two people are in their custody for further police investigation even through the girl has been found. Deputy Superintendent of Police Sahr Denis Gborie maintained that during their investigation at the aforementioned Village one of the Chiefs at the village told them that Komba Lebbie is the former husband of the lost and found girl’s mother and that both of them had transacted business wherein Komba Lebbie was to pay back some money noting that he haven’t paid the money, he allegedly made a statement that he was going to do something with Kumba Solomon that will warrant him to be sent behind bars thereby leaving everyone at the Village in total trouble .
On the side of Bondu Saquee said she was the only elderly person left with the kids when the girl got missing and that the night when people were searching for the whereabouts of the girl, she travelled and slept out of the village without applying any effort to locate the missing child.
Whilst thanking the Local Unit Commander of the Tankoro Police Divisional Headquarters Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bandabla and Chief Changa for supporting their investigation DSP Gborie said Police were going to investigate the matter thoroughly; because it is very impossible for one year six months old baby girl to have reported missing and re-surfaced from afar.