4. KEY FINDINGS

During the Course of the Investigation the following Key Issues were identified

a. Legality of the Procession

It has been established that on the 29th August 2011 the SLPP District Secretary Bo Mr. Mohammed E.K Alie wrote a letter to the Paramount Chief Kakua Chiefdom Bo PC Prince Lappia Boima the fourth and the LUC Bo Police Division Mr. Theophilus Senesie requesting for clearance and Police coverage for a procession, Pouring of libation at the Party office and a public meeting at the coronation field in Bo; in respect of the visit of the flag bearer elect of the SLPP Rtd. Brig Julius Maada Bio on Friday 9th September 2011.

In response to that request, the Local Unit Commander for Bo District Mr. Theophilus Senesie who was in a workshop in Freetown instructed his chief clerk to issue security clearance and to provide security for the visit of Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, whose letter was dated 9th September 2011. It has also been observed that on the 9th September 2011 the SLPP presented the route for the procession to the Police. This Panel has established that the Procession was legal and authorized.

b. Wounding of the SLPP Flagbearer Brigadier Rtd. Julius Maada Bio

It has been established that during the course of the investigation the SLPP Procession arrived at the vicinity of the PMDC and APC offices along Mahei Boima Road Bo at about 1500hours on the 9th September 2011. It has also been established that when the Procession arrived at the PMDC office, the flag bearer was standing through the sun roof of the vehicle where he waved to the people who were standing in the compound of the PMDC office. It has also been confirmed that the procession was peaceful up to the point when they arrived at the vicinity of the APC office. It was at that point that the first sets of stones were pelted at the procession from the direction of the APC office. It has been confirmed that the following people Mohamed Conteh Alias Bomb Blast, Alias Bobby APC and Lamin Alias Shakur were among the people throwing stones.

The investigation has confirmed that the SLPP flag bearer Brigadier Rtd. Julius Maada Bio was hit on the head by a stone released by a catapult by Mohamed Conteh Alias Bomb Blast. This stone that hit the SLPP flag bearer’s head resulted in wounding and oozing of blood from his head. Additionally, this wounding has been confirmed from three source Eyewitnesses, Video clip of the procession, medical reports from Dr. M.B Yilla of Kindoya Hospital No.1 Prince Williams Street Bo, Dr. Patrick Bankah (Ghana) and Dr. Rashida Kamara It has also been confirmed that after the SLPP flag bearer was hit and wounded on his head stones started coming from the SLPP Procession towards the APC office. Damage on the rear screen of the vehicle the flag bearer was also confirmed.

Evidence adduced so far has confirmed that on Friday 9th September 2011 about thirteen (13) people were found behaving in a riotous manner and throwing stones within the vicinity of the APC office in Bo along Mahei Boima Road Bo.

The thirteen (13) suspects are as follows:

1. Amadu Mansaray

2. Osman Mansaray

3. Alhaji Abdulai Sesay

4. Ibrahim Conteh (alias Shakur)

5. Junior Sillah

6. Bockarie Baimba

7. Osman Jalloh

8. Mohamed Conteh (alias Bomb Blast)

9. Mohamed Koroma (alias APC Ratti)

10. Mohamed Massaquoi

11. Alhaji (alias Evil Nya-Nya)

12. Abdullai Bangura

13. Shaka Kamara


Riotous conduct 2

That at about 17 00hrs of Friday 9th September 2011 along Fenton Road in Bo police personnel had cause to fire to disperse a riotous crowd that was heading for the Bo
Police Station. Among the crowd were suspects Ibrahim Koroma who had a wheel Barrow full of stones and Momoh Kpaka with a petrol Bomb. Both suspects were arrested by the OSD personnel.

c. Arson


A. APC Office 82 Mahei Boima Road Bo

Following the stoning of the SLPP flag bearer Rtd. Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, a group from the procession with people dressed in green overpowered the Police Officers, stoned, vandalized and set the APC office on fire. As a consequence, evidence has been established against fourteen (14) people.

1. Alias Bawwao

2. Alhaji (Alias Tapet)

3. Hon. Foday Rado Yokie

4. Kenneth Coker

5. Keifa Avayama Kanneh (UCC Teacher)

6. Daniel Amara (Mines Bo)

7. Mustapha Massaquoi

8. Patrick Zombo

9. Alias Chorper

10. Alias Yori Yori

11. Councillor Ngaima

12. Scott Manga (UCC Teacher)

13. Junior Forni (Alias Abacha)

14. Samuel Jakema ( Alias BKPS)


B. Mr. Sheik S. Sillah’s (APC Bo District Chairman) House 54 Ngeiya Road Bo

Following the burning down of APC office, the group moved to the residence of Mr. Shiek S.Sillah, the APC Bo District Chairman at no.54 Ngeiya Road Bo. More people joined the group en route Sheik Sillah’s house. The house was comprehensively looted before it was set on fire. Evidence has been established against sixteen (16) people.

1. Hon. Foday Rado Yokie

2. Kenneth Coker

3. Councillor Ngaima

4. Keifa Avayama Kanneh

5. Joseph Maada Kpulum

6. Samuel Jakema (BKPS)

7. Mustapha Massaquoi (Mines Bo)

8. Daniel Amara (Mines Bo)

9. Patrick Zombo

10. Terror

11. Festus Mattia

12. Francis Kpulum

13. Junior Fornie (Alias Abacha)

14. Gibrilla (Gibo)

15. Alias Baowao (Mohamed)

16. Mohamed Gbonda


C. De Pa E Yai Office 112 Tinkoko Road Bo

Following the burning of Sheik Sillah’s house, some members of the group that left Sheik Sillah’s house with other people then proceeded to De Pa E Yai office at 112 Tinkoko Road Bo and burnt it. It was confirmed that some items were removed from the Pa E Yai office by the Security Guard Ibrahim Jones alias Quality with the help of Mohamed Jalloh for safe Keeping before it was set on fire.

Evidence has been established against four (4) People


1. Keifa Avayama Kanneh

2. Junior Fonnie (alias Abacha)

3. Councillor Mustapha Kpaka

4. Foray Jakema (alias Paga)


d. Murder

On that fateful day, i.e. Friday 9th September, 2011 at about 16:00 hours, the central district of Bo city was riotous and chaotic. There was sporadic firing by OSD personnel. It was during this period that an OSD personnel attached to the Bo Police Division shot a Bike rider along Mahei Boima Road Bo City. He was taken to the Bo Government Hospital where he was latter pronounced dead at around 16:45 hours by the medical doctor. The corpse was identified to be Abdulai Sesay. One suspect has been identified, 12381 B.S Mansaray (alias White Boy) as responsible for the killing.

e. Gunshot Wounds

Consequent upon the stoning and burning of buildings, together with the minimal police presence, added to the attempt by the crowd to burn the police station and other government
structures in Bo town; the situation went out of control. The few teargas canisters were exhausted and shooting then intensified which resulted to some civilians sustaining gunshot
wounds. Twenty three (23) people were initially treated at the Bo Government Hospital for various injuries but only nine (9) were confirmed to have sustained gunshot wounds.

Three (3) armed OSD personnel have been held responsible for the gunshot wounds.

The suspects are as follows:

1. PC 12558 Alhassan Khandi Conteh

2. PC 12562 Augustine Sanu

3. Sgt 6220 Conteh Kekuda


f. Wounding on APC Regional Chairlady South Zainab Mansaray

Two eyewitnesses confirmed the attack, wounding and molestation of Zainab Mansaray by Alhaji (alias Evil Nya-Nya).


g. Assualt on Police

During the riot, some police officers sustained minor injuries with the exception of two, one of whom sustained stabbed wound on his left arm and the other stoned on the right
ear. The Police could not identify any suspect.

h. Security Lapses

It has been confirmed by the Panel that there were major and consistent laspes in security by key institutions for the Operations in the build- up to and during the Thank You Tour of the Flag bearer of the SLPP Brigadier Rtd. Julius Maada Bio in Bo.


i. The Sierra Leone Police

The whole operations were underestimated by the Bo Police Division. As such, no proper security measures were put in place. The Integrated intelligence Service starved the operations of related intelligence.

Most senior officers including the Local Unit Commander and his Task Coordinating Group were in a workshop at the Police Training School during the visit of the SLPP flag
bearer in Bo.

Due to the absence of key stakeholders in the Bo Police Division, the police did not prepare an operational plan for this operation. There was no security meeting with the
SLPP Executive members to determine the route and conduct of the procession.

The acting LUC who was the substantive crime officer at the time i.e. 9th September 2011 was inexperienced and also junior to other commanders in Bo at the time. As such,
they do not have accurate control over the OSD who has a senior ASP as commander. There were also no proper coordination between the LUC and the AIG South. The OSD
were not properly informed by the General about the nature of the operation and as such, did not provide adequate security. Only one hundred and fifty (150) general duty
personnel were deployed most of whom were new recruits together with forty eight (48) armed OSD personel to police an estimated crowd of fifty thousand (50,000) people. Of the 48 OSD personnel only fourteen (14) were armed.

In spite of the fact that the police had received intelligence and threats relating to the burning of these structures the police failed to provide adequate security.

Again, Even though the junction of Yakai Street and Mayei Boima road opposite the APC office was notorious for attack on SLPP procession (attack on 2008 Mayoral Procession)
the police went ahead to grant permission to the SLPP to process along that route.

The Amourers do not make proper entry for arms and ammunition issued to their personnel.

It has been confirmed that the LUC did not have absolute control over the deployment of OSD personnel in its division but that the OSD are more loyal to the AIG.

There is mistrust among the senior cadre in the SLP Bo Division. Key also is that officers are serving in positions and undertaking duties and responsibilities not commensurate
to their ranks.

j. The National Fire Force in Bo

It has been established that the National Fire Force in Bo knew about the setting of fire on the APC office, Mr.Sheik Sillah’s house and the Pa Ee Yai office. According to the Fire
Prevention Officer Alimamy Conteh who also doubles as the operations officer at the time, he refused to move the fire engine to the scenes of crime for fear that the engine
will be burnt down. In addition he did not make adequate arrangements with the SLP to provide security for him. It has been observed that there is leadership gap in the
operations of the Fire Fore Bo branch because the Regional Commander is absent from his station most of the time. The station officer Albert Kpaka second in command Bo fire
station is recovering from sickness as a result of an accident he was involved in. In his present capacity he cannot take over full command of the station.

k. The District Security Committee (DISEC) Bo

Even though intelligence was given at a DISEC meeting on the 8th September by the Deputy Mayor Bo City Council that if there is any attempt by the APC to repeat the scenario in Kono or disrupt their programme and having threatened that such attempt will be met by “Fire for Fire”, DISEC did not do anything to address the intelligence of even the threat made.

Furthermore, even though the intelligence was provided to DISEC that the Minister of Internal Affairs Hon. Musa Tarawally was to visit Bo on the very day of the SLPP political
activity i.e. 9th September 2011 the committee again failed to take any appropriate action to address the situation. DISEC basically relied on the statement of the Crime
Officer ASP John Sesay that the Police had put all measures in place.


l. Office of National Security (ONS) Bo


The ONS Office in Bo which is responsible for the coordination of security matters in the district even though privy into these security threats failed to take any meaningful
action that would have prevented the incidences of Friday 9th September in Bo.


m. Conduct of Political Parties

The Panel also observed that all four political parties’ offices visited in Bo i.e. APC, PMDC, SLPP and NDA are used as dwelling houses.

The compound which houses the APC office also harbors youths who sell and use hard drugs on the premises.

Political Party leaders in Bo are using inflammatory statements which have the potential to strongly incite their members.

APC and SLPP Parties leaders are using ex-combatants as body guards.

Political Parties have no serious agenda for youths within their parties. There are no disciplinary structures within the Party and Leaders fail to take responsibility of negative
youth actions but instead condone such actions.


n. Commendation

The roles of the personnel of the Sierra Leone Red Cross in Bo, the Bo Government Hospital, the Political Party Registration Commission (PPRC) Mediation and Program
Officer South were particularly outstanding.

5. CONCLUSION

Based on the findings through statement taking, interviews and onsite visits to the crime scene the Panel concludes;

• That the APC Youths started the stoning

• The burning down of buildings was carried out by supporters of the SLPP.

• The shootings were done by the OSD personnel in Bo and it resulted in one dead and twenty three people injured including two police personnel.

• The APC Regional Chairlady South was also stabbed by an irate youth.

• The Panel also confirmed that the senior police officers of Bo Police Division were out of station and there was no operational order for the visit of Brig. Rtd Maada Bio.

• The Panel also established that the Bo Fire Force did not respond to the fire call.

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