In response to an assault on a military facility in Sierra Leone, President Julius Maada Bio declared a nationwide curfew on Sunday. In the early hours of the day, a group of armed individuals breached security at the Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown, attempting to access an arms depot. Security forces successfully brought the situation under control, prompting the president to announce the curfew and encourage citizens to stay indoors, emphasizing the need to unite and safeguard democracy.
The Sierra Leone Telegraph reported that the attackers, described as “unidentified soldiers and police officers,” seized heavy weapons. Gunfire erupted in the vicinity, including near the presidential residence, before the armed group proceeded to Freetown Central Prison. There, they freed numerous inmates, including some held without trial for several years and political prisoners.
According to Reuters, Freetown Central Prison was left unsecured, leading to the escape of some inmates, as confirmed by an unnamed senior official. The BBC also reported the same information, citing an official at the facility. While videos purportedly showing escaped prisoners circulated on social media, their authenticity remains uncertain, with no official confirmation.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) condemned the storming of the military barracks, labeling it a “plot by certain individuals to acquire arms and disturb the peace and constitutional order in Sierra Leone.”
The political climate in Sierra Leone has been tense since President Bio’s re-election in June, drawing criticism for alleged statistical discrepancies from the opposition and international observers. In August, tensions escalated as police arrested senior army officers, suspected of plotting to attack state institutions, during a period of strained relations between the president’s office and senior military officers following the election.
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If ever there is going to be an illegal jailbreak, it should happen in a place called “Freetown”.
This is like a script built in “Fallout”…