By Richmond B. Tholley
A member of the Sierra Leone Police force has reportedly left a 20-year-old youth in Malal Chiefdom, Tonkolili District, with a wound on the forehead as alleged by the family and eyewitnesses.
The incident reportedly happened in the morning hours of Thursday, 23rd January 2025, in Ropolon Bana village, Malal Chiefdom.
Alhaji Issa Fornah, the victim and also a resident of Ropolon Bana, was admitted at MSF Hospital in Mile 91.
Fornah was seen bleeding profusely, and blood was oozing from the forehead in scores of videos shared online.
According to the family, Fornah was wounded on the forehead by the OSD officer during an argument between some youths and heads of the Poro secret society in Malal Chiefdom.
The officer is attached to the Rochen Malal Police Post, which is under the command of the Mile 91 Police Station, but the family said it couldn’t name the officer since he was recently transferred to the Chiefdom-only Police Post.
According to videos in possession of the Independent Observer Newspaper, Ropolon Bana residents were watching while the OSD officer was seen randomly shooting.
Even when a motorbike later picked up the officer, he was still seen shooting.
During our investigation, bullet shells were discovered confirming the use of live rounds. Residents described the incident as unfortunate, especially the use of live rounds by the OSD officer.
Narrating the circumstances that led to the incident, Alpha Mohamed Fornah, the victim’s elder brother, said Ropolon Bana residents saw the chiefdom’s Poro secret society leaders in their village in the morning hours.
The villagers, the victim’s elder brother said, intercepted the members of the poro after they failed to follow some societal protocols when an argument ensued.
It was during the said argument that he said they saw the OSD officer at the scene after he was wrongly informed that the youths of Ropolon Bana had attacked the leaders of the poro society.
According to the family, it was Paramount Chief Bailal N’soila III of Malal Chiefdom who ordered the officer to go to the scene because they refused to heed his call for the initiation of some non-Soko members.
Immediately the officer arrived, the elder brother said, he started shooting, leaving the entire community in fear.
The Paramount Chief has confirmed the shooting to be true but denied that it was any of the bullets that wounded the victim.
The Mile 91 Police Station has confirmed having knowledge of the incident and is investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, the latest report says the victim was in critical condition. The Sierra Leone Police has recently come under fire for its persistent use of live bullets leading to either loss of life or destruction of properties when riots break out.
An independent investigation conducted by this medium revealed that there has been an existing rancor between the residents of Ropolon Bana village and members of the Poro secret society after the former refused to give out the number of nonmembers to be initiated.
This is a developing story, and this medium will update the public.
