By: Mohamed Sahr
Sierra Leone Police Traffic Division has recorded a soaring number of road accidents in the month of January this year as was reported during the weekly press briefing on Tuesday 21th February 2023 at its headquarter in Freetown.
Edward Kotor Kamara, who is a Chief Inspector and Information Officer attached at the Traffic Directorate within the Central Police Division, said there had been tremendous increase in road accidents from the starting of January to the end which had raised the attention of the public and the Traffic Division by extension. He stated that the Directorate recorded over fifty (50) road accident fatalities in the entire country only within the month of January.
“The management is to embark on a strategic sensitization plan across all bus stations and lorry parks within the country,’’ Inspector Kamara said.
Chief Inspector Kamara furthered that the sensitization drive would focus on vehicles plying from Freetown to the provincial areas; noting that these vehicles are mostly involved in such situation. He said the Traffic Division examined that the scaling number of these road accidents are mainly caused by human actions. Kotor Kamara urged road users to be mindful of the type of vehicle they are moving with and report any neglect made by a driver or vehicle owner as this would minimize road crashes.
Aiah Edward Samadia, Assistant Inspector General of Police and Commissioner Freetown-East said the SLP would ensure that the June general elections happen in a very calm atmosphere.
Commissioner Samadia mentioned that they would tap on the nerves of all the ranks and files of the police sector in order to uphold professional conduct which they demonstrated in the just-concluded APC National Party Conference in Makeni.
Fritzlnun Joshua Moosa, Operations Officer at the Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters said on Monday 13th February, one Abubakar Bangura, Resident Control Officer of the United Bank of Africa (UBA) in Freetown assisted by police arrested one Ibrahim Barrie a resident of Godrich Community. The alleged person who is Ibrahim Barrie was found in possession of two thousand counterfeit United States Dollars with the view of transferring the dollars into his personal foreign account at the said Bank.
Fritzlnun Moosa furthered that the counterfeit notes had been taken to the Central Bank of Sierra Leone in order to ascertain the authentication of the money. He said the matter is under proper investigation.
Mr. Moosa revealed that they had arrested one corporal 18182496 Ibrahim Yayah attached at the Bank of Sierra Leone for the inappropriate disappearance of his AK47 riffle with 30 rounds of magazines.
“During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Ibrahim Yayah deceived his senior officer Major Saidu Sillah on the grounds that the alleged person Ibrahim Yayah resorted into sexual conduct whiles on duty which led to the disappearance of the weapon belonging to him” CID Operations Officer said. He stated that the matter is in active investigation.
Alusine Conteh, Assistant Superintendent of Police attached in the North-West Region said the entire settlements are calm and quiet with normal patrol happening between the Sierra Leone contingent and the Guinean counterparts. He noted that the SLP and the National Revenue Authority launched an operation to clamp down on the illegal smuggling of timber and its products; adding that large quantities of timber boxes were discovered along the shores of Sierra Leone with the intention of taking the timbers out of the country. ASP Conteh said the police made a robust respond and made some arrest. He revealed that the matter is under active investigation.
John Abass, Media Officer in the North-East Region said the region is relatively calm and quiet with people going about their normal activities. He noted that some stakeholders visited the Soumgbah Industry to address the payment of backlogs of the workers. He said the meeting was peaceful resolved.
Abass Musa, Media Officer in the Eastern Region said the entire area remains peaceful and relatively calm. He disclosed that the Sierra Leone Police has continued with its community sensitization drive in order to enhance peaceful atmosphere ahead of the multi-tier general elections.