Freetown, Sierra Leone, 31st March, 2022: The Judiciary’s Communications Department wishes to inform our revered public that the 58 persons who were arrested for riotous conduct and its related offences on Monday, 28th March, 2022 during the riot which prevented commercial and private vehicles, commercial tricycles and motor bikes from plying the streets of Freetown were brought before the Magistrate’s Court No. 1 at Ross Road in the East end of Freetown.
Among those accused persons were pupils from the Sierra Leone Muslim Congress Secondary School. They were in Court yesterday, Wednesday, 30th March, 2022, arraigned before Magistrate Wilbri John. Before the Court Sessions they were taken to the Cells (holding centers prepared by the Judiciary to be used by the correctional centers and the Sierra Leone Police) at Ross Road Magistrates’ Courts. Whilst in detention, some accused persons fainted due to suffocation. Two were asthmatic, according to medical report.
When they fainted, the others started shouting which attracted public attention. They were brought out and family members started crying that their children are dead. The scene became chaotic.
Later, the Magistrate called up the case and they were all granted Bail. Two Sureties-Mr. Ibrahim Cole, the Principal for the Junior Secondary School Section and Mr. Alhaji Mohamed Sallieu Bangura, the Principal for the Senior Secondary School Section facilitated the process to ensure that the bail conditions were fulfilled. They were all contacted and confirmed that all the pupils later recovered in sound health after going through effective treatment.
“I will authoritatively tell you that no pupil died but I can also assure you that those who fainted recovered the same day,” said Mr. Ibrahim Cole, the Principal for the Junior Secondary School Section, Sierra Leone Muslim Congress School, adding that, “I even addressed them this morning at the school assembly ground. That social media video claiming that one of our pupils died is false and untrue.”
The school authorities called on our revered public to visit them for further clarification instead of spreading false rumor that a pupil died in Court yesterday.
We are also calling on the general public to dismiss those fake social media reports and videos.
