…One dead, 9 sustain gunshot wounds
August 22, 2016 By Mohamed Massaquoi
Local Unit Commander of Bonthe District has confirmed to Concord Times that some irate youths of Largo village in the Banta Chiefdom on Saturday burnt down both the chiefdom court barray and the houses of the Paramount Chief,PC Gibao Russel and his brother.
Superintendent Amadu Mohamed Turay said the town chief of Gbangbatoke village, Chief Albert Pessima, who was suspended last year was supposed to be reinstated on Friday 19th August, 2016.
While stakeholders had been assembled to grace the occasion, he said Paramount Chief of the Banta Chiefdom, Gibao Russell could not show up at the ceremony and that his absence sparked off resentment among the youth of the village.
This development according to the LUC, forced supporters of the suspended Chief,Pa Pessima to burn down four houses, but told Concord Times that peace finally returned to the village after police intervention.
‘’Peace has finally returned to Largo and Gbangbatoke after the incident that led to the burning down of four houses, killing of one person and injury of (9) nine from gunshot. The situation is now under control. As we continue with our investigations, one Ibrahim Massaquoi has been arrested with some shot-gun bullets,’’ he said, adding that both the military and the police were now providing security for the area.
This is the second major incident that has occurred in the country within one week. It could be recalled that some four days ago, the youths of Kabala protested for what they referred to as ‘marginalization’ by the government to remove the projects for the relocation of the youth village from their area to another location.
According to the SLP spokesman, “the situation quickly degenerated into violence as the youths went on the rampage, whilst Police tried to contain the situation.