16TH AUGUST 2024: As a result of the August 8th to 10th protests, Ibrahim Kanu, born in Buya Romende, Port Loko district, in the northern region of Sierra Leone, is still under serious threats from his home village even though he had left the country in 2018 to an unknown country.
We gathered that Ibrahim Kanu is undergoing continuous threats by members of the ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) supporters as well as the Sierra Leone Police, accusing him of being one of the collaborators disseminating sensitive information about the government on social media.
Information reaching us states that Ibrahim is a strong supporter of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party and his father, Mr. Alpha Kanu, is one of the APC councilors at Buya Romende though he is currently in hiding.
Our sources at Buya Romende and Lunsar disclosed to this press that, immediately after the 2018 elections, when the current SLPP party won the polls, youths of the party went to Ibrahim Kanu’s family house, set it ablaze, but unfortunately, he was able to escape with his father and other relatives to an unknown destination. The youths at Buya Romende declared Ibrahim Kanu and his entire family wanted.
On August 10th and 11th, 2022 protests, Ibrahim Kanu and his family was also accused as APC operatives in the Buya Romende and Lunsar, where he (Ibrahim Kanu) lived briefly after he was attacked by SLPP supporters, stormed his father’s house and set it ablaze. The entire family, including his uncle Abdul Kanu’s house in Lunsar, was also set ablaze by armed SLPP supporters who were going after the entire family.
Like most Sierra Leoneans, Ibrahim Kanu and several other Sierra Leoneans were accused of collaborating with people on the ground during various protests, which were held due to the high cost of living and insufficient youth employment in the country. Reports say they are currently in hiding while others were arrested.
The police engaged protesters in running battles, leaving 31 dead, including six police officers. Angered by the number of casualties they incurred, the police and army officers, led by Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Lahai Lawrence Leema, embarked on reprisal killings on the evening of the same day during a house-to-house search.
The violent situation forced Ibrahim Kanu’s father and the entire family out of their home in Buya Romende and Lunsar, respectively. Ibrahim Kanu, who is still out of the country, according to authoritative sources, is still wanted by the police and the SLPP youths.
Ibrahim Kanu left for an unknown destination in 2018, but because of his alleged involvement in the various protests and most of the current crises in the country, he was declared wanted by the SLPP youths as well as the police.
We gathered that they have issued a warrant of arrest, though we are unable to set eyes on the documents. However, our authoritative sources told us that the warrant of arrest remains in force, although nobody knows his whereabouts at the moment.
