By Richmond B. Tholley
Police in the northern town of Mile 91 are investigating a reported incident of throwing corrosive substance suspected to be acid involving two rival men in the town.
On Thursday, August 22, 2024, one Ibrahim Conteh, an employee of Miro Forestry Company residing in the New Site area in Mile 91, Tonkolili District, was accompanied to the Mile 91 Police Station by a cross section of family members who reported that an unknown individual threw a substance on his face. Police investigators informed this medium that blood was oozing out from the eyes of the victim at the time the report was made.
Conteh was on nightshift, and he was on his way to work when his attacker came from the other side of the road and threw the acid on his face. Eyewitnesses said they heard him crying for help.
Though the people around him ended up leading him home, they couldn’t save Conteh from losing his eyesight because the perpetrator had done the act before they could reach the scene. A few hours after the incident, intelligence from sources pointed fingers at a man named Gassim.
According to reports from multiple sources, the said Gassim and the victim have been at loggerheads over a woman. On several occasions, the family confirmed that Gassim had been to the house, asking the family to warn Conteh to stay away from his girlfriend.
“In fact, he [Gassim] wrote a letter of warning recently that if Conteh does not stay away from his girlfriend, he would see something that the victim will never forget,” Adamasay Conteh, a family member, informed the Independent Observer.
The fact that Gassim is nowhere to be seen since the incident occurred has left many with the conviction that he was the one who attacked Conteh and threw the acid on his face. Police raided Gassim’s house on the day the incident occurred, but he’s nowhere to be found.
Immediately after the alleged incident, Conteh was rushed to CHF Hospital in Mile 91 for medical treatment.
Dr. Noah, a medical superintendent at CHF Hospital, confirmed that Conteh’s condition is critical.
The medical report says the substance left the victim with severe damage to both eyes and that he requires urgent attention.
The family was advised to transfer Conteh to an emergency hospital in Freetown for specialized treatment.
But a family member has lately informed our medium that the last medical report from Freetown has confirmed their brother has lost his eyesight and he won’t see with both eyes again.
The ugly incident has been the topic of discussion since its occurrence. Lately, the rate at which disputes over women have led to either a loss of life or damage is alarming.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Mile 91 Police Division is investigating the matter and has declared the suspect wanted.
