December 23, 2016 By Patrick Jaiah Kamara
Erstwhile Chief of Defence Staff of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Lieutenant General Samuel Omarr Williams, has been assassinated in a cool blood by unknown gunmen at his residence at Devil Hole, just at the outskirt of the capital Freetown.
RSLAF’s Director of Communications, Colonel Osman Turay, told Concord Times that the ex-military chief was shot dead at his home and that the gunmen allegedly used a shotgun to kill the retired head of the armed forces at around 3a.m. on Thursday.
Col. Turay said the former CDS had three security guards and a driver attached to him, although they were not with him when the unknown gunmen attacked his residence.
He said the former head of the military was staying with his wife and two of his relatives.
Col. Turay noted that the army would join the police to investigate the killing of the former military strongman.
President Ernest Bai Koroma promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General in June 2015, thus making him the first Three Star General in the country. He was also the 17th Defence Chief since Independence.
During his leadership at the Ministry of Defence, he was faced with several protests from ‘war wounded’ soldiers retrenched from the army. It is reported that dozens of them reside within the same community as the slain former General, although the identity or motive of his killers remain unknown.
His remains have been conveyed to the Connaught Hospital mortuary for post-mortem.
Police media boss, Assistant Inspector of Police Al-Sheik Kamara has said that they would put out a statement after their investigation.