By: Melvin Tejan Mansaray
Officials of the Sierra Leone Government have called on its citizens to be calm as they go about their businesses following what is believed to be an attempted jail break at the Sierra Leone Correctional Center’ maximum facility on Pademba Road, Freetown, on the early hours of Wednesday 29th April, 2020.
The actual cause of the jail riot is still not too clear but comes on the wake of the confirmation of one positive COVID-19 case among inmates in the country’s maximum prison facility and the suspension of all court sittings therewith.
April 29th, is not a good day in the history of the former Prison’s Department now called Correctional Service.
In the early 90s, a military coup saw the breaking of the prisons and escape of inmates. Several decades after, the year 2020, a similar incident has repeated itself though unsuccessful this time around.
Mohamed Rahman Swaray Minister of Information and Communications said, ” there was a riot, prisoners set ablaze the kitchen, one of the cell blocks amongst others were gutted,” noting that, “the Police and Army were able to reinforce the situation and brought it under control. Fundamentally, a lot of damage was done to the historic structures but it is important to note that the cells housing high stake prisoners were unscathed, not affected. We are aware of casualties but these are early days, when the dust settles we should be able to give a more comprehensive account.” He said there were no escapes, and that the motivation for the riot is still foggy.
Swaray on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone called on the public to go about their normal businesses as the security situation is being normalized.
He praised the Fire Service for working round the clock to ensure that they estinguish the fire so that it does not escalate to other unaffected buildings, confirming that high stake prisoners like former Internal Affairs/Deputy Defence Minister Alfred Paolo Conteh who is in remand for alleged treason is unaffected.
Asked by this Press whether the surfacing of the COVID-19 pandemic among the inmates was not a push factor for the unrest, he said, after a pause, “it is too early to tell.”
Insider sources say one Correctional Officer, Hassan, a Plumber, died from an astray bullet while several officers sustained serious bodily injuries.
An insider said some inmates also sustained serious injuries but could not confirm any death which is believed to have happened.
” Whether an inmate died, that information is classified,” a Senior Correctional Officer said.
It was also confirmed that the store, hospital, workshop and other buildings were torched and thick smoke and fire was seen fuming out of the facility attracting a chaotic scene and a throng of onlookers.
“It was like a war front, several gun shots fired with teargas. The situation was so frightening,” one resident at Pademba Road said.
The Member of Parliament representing constituency 127, which covers the Maximum Correctional Center on Pademba,
Freetown also called for calm reassuring that the Government is in full control of the situation.
” I don’t feel good about this incident that happened in my constituency today, ” Hon. Koroma said, adding that everything now lies in the hands of the security forces.
He said he was on the scene of the incident because it is his duty as a representative of the constituency to have a first hand sight.
“Because this is my constituency, I just want to see that it remains peaceful as it was before,” Hon. John T. Koroma said, noting that, “I am a lawmaker, I don’t have anything to say as to what happened inside the jail for now until the government comes out with a press release which as MPs we will look into.”
In his message to constituents, Hon. Koroma said, “The Government is in full control let everybody remain calm.”
A source said that tons of rice were destroyed along properties worth millions of leones.
It took hours for the police and soldiers to curtail the situation and the atmosphere was like a war front with human and vehicular traffic hugely interrupted.
One Officer said there is an administrative problem in the Correctional Service that the government must swiftly look into.
” As we speak, visitors are not allowed to inmates due to the coronavirus, there are no court sittings, no talk shop (a place to buy), money is not allowed to inmates and this situation was exacerbated by improper communication around the relocating and quarantining of some inmates. Some of the inmates are hopeless and pushing them too hard brings a bounce back effect,” the Officer who asked for anonymity said.
Another Correctional Officer talked about how the incident exposed their vulnerability, citing the need for the Service to have an arm wing and make conditions better for the officers and inmates alike.
” The inmates are already frustrated with the new measures, handling them in such a time needs critical care and professionalism,” the Officer said.
The Pademba Road Prisons is believed to be holding thousands of inmates beyond its capacity and a rumour made rounds that the President was on the verge of announcing an amnesty for some inmates due to the COVID-19 and overcrowded nature of centers across the country.
As at the time of filing this report, the situation had been coiled by the security forces and normalcy had returned to the vicinity but perhaps not inside the walls of the country’s oldest and most populated prisons for now.
