Police Declares Ibrahim Bangura Wanted
Police sources have revealed that one Ibrahim Bangura has been declared wanted by the police on allegations of incitement, riotous conduct and assaulting police officers.
According to the police, they have been following the activities of Ibrahim Bangura and others, believed to have been part of a group of rioters that stormed the streets of the capital in protest against a High Court ruling that nullified the election of some 11 Members of Parliament on a petty filed against them by the ruling party on allegations of electoral malpractice. The police furthered that shortly after that incident they had intelligence that some of the said protesters were resident in Rokel village, Western Area Rural, and were exhibiting opposition to the ruling party MP that was installed by the Court after the judgement.
Police sources further revealed that this latest move in declaring Ibrahim Bangura and others wanted, is as a result of attacks on the current MP and the police officers sent to disperse an illegal gathering at the community field, under the instigation of the said youths. Their riotous conduct resulted in the destruction of the MP’s vehicle and damages to government vehicles and property, and death of two people, as well as assault of ruling party members accompanying the MP.
However, eyewitnesses explained to this medium that there was a football gala taking place at the community field during the period and that the 19th February was the day for the finals, and several opposition party figures were invited to grace the occasion, among whom was the disqualified MP, a popular figure and the favorite choice of the people in the community.
It was further disclosed that as information reached the current MP about the presence of his rival in the said tournament, he too decided to stop the football match on the pretext of holding a meeting on the said ground. He then turned up at the community field in the company of the police and ruling party youths, demanding the termination of the match and exit from the field of all who had come to watch the match, stating that he is going to hold a meeting on the said ground now.
This directive angered people who had come to watch the match, resulting in a fracas between them and the police, who fired teargas at the crowd. The angry youths then descended on the police, clashing with the ruling party youths in the company of the current MP. This clash led to the deaths of two people.
It was revealed that Ibrahim Bangura was the youth leader of the main opposition party APC at the Rokel village, and had not been getting on well with the MP that the party saw as imposed on the community by the Court ruling. This, being one of the organizers of the football gala, he became a primary target of both the police and ruling party youths. During the ensuing fracas, eyewitnesses say that they saw him being pursued by the police and ruling party youths into the bush up the hills, and has since not returned.
Ibrahim Bangura’s family members spoken to say that since Ibrahim Bangura escaped being captured by the police, their house has been raided regularly by both the police and ruling party youths, and these have continuously threatened them with death, including burning down of their house. They furthered that since that day, the whereabouts of Ibrahim Bangura are still unknown.