According to police sources, they are looking for one Gilbert Idrissa Wurie of 26 Atbenty Drive, Magbonto, Makeni, northern Sierra Leone, on allegation of facilitating the 10th August 2022 deadly riot that resulted in the death of 5 police officers and 30 civilians and the destruction of police stations across the country. Based on their intelligence, he has been implicated in facilitating funding for an alleged Coup plot against the government of President Bio in August this year, allegedly in collaboration with some senior police and military officers (both serving and ex-servicemen), whose pictures have been displayed, with some said to be on the run.
According to the police, their intelligence from Makeni revealed that Gilbert Idrissa Wurie has made several travels out of the country, allegedly collecting funds to sponsor the 10th August 2022 riot, in which some 30 civilians were killed, as well as 5 police officers, and the alleged coup plot that was thwarted by the security forces, and that several arrests have been made, including the extradition of a senior ex-police officer from Liberia, Retired Assistant Superintendent of Police…… They furthered that on returning from such trips, Gilbert has had several meetings with another notorious operative of the main opposition party, commonly called Evangelist Samson, who was gunned down in Makeni shortly after the riot, in a gun battle with the security forces. They maintained that in the said meetings, Gilbert is alleged to have disbursed funds for the riot, and after the death of Evangelist Samson, he had continued to disburse funds to some unknown persons for the said coup. They also disclosed that they have several of the planners of the coup in their custody, and these are helping them in their investigations. They also disclosed that several others have been declared wanted and their pictures posted across the country and on social media for information leading to their arrest, plus a bounty on their head for such information.
This medium visited the ransacked residence of Gilbert Idrissa Wurie in Magbonto, Makeni, and in conversation with some eye witnesses, gathered that the security forces (combined military and police, armed to the teeth) stormed the residence on several occasions looking for Gilbert, and when he was nowhere to be found, beat family members in the house, including his wife, Sia Everetta Wurie, who was mercilessly beaten, with several blows landing on her face, causing injury to the eyes. Several threats of arrest and elimination of Gilbert and family were made by ruling party youths, who accompanied the officers. Eye witnesses say that since the beating of the occupants of the house, all of them had gone into hiding, including Sia Wurie, and their whereabouts are yet unknown. They furthered that they witnessed the killing of Evangelist Samson, whom they said was ru7nnjing away from the security forces when he was shot on the back, and that he was not armed, disputing police allegation of a gun-battle.
According to our source, Gilbert Wurie is said to have narrowly escaped the attack on his residence on that fateful day, through the back door of his house and had sought refuge in a nearby house, but as the angry security officers embarked on searching the surrounding houses, he is said to have entered a nearby bush and has not been seen since then. They also confirmed that the police and ruling party youths have been raiding the area in search of Gilbert and family and disclosure that they have included him among the wanted list of persons of interest in the alleged coup plot against the government, a ploy that many in the opposition stronghold of Makeni believe is to silence their ardent supporters and destroy their support base.
As we go to press, the whereabouts of Gilbert Idrissa Wurie and family are yet unknown.
