By Jacob J. Kanga
One the 13th August 2022, Magistrate Saidu Kamara of Pademba Road Magistrate Court remanded in custody 11 boys and two females caught in the violent strikes against the state on 10th August 2023 in various parts of the city and the country.
The court hearing was witnessed by some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the public.
The illegal and unauthorised protests, organised and orchestrated by some top leaders of the opposition, ended up as a sham.
According to the magistrate, he referred to the whole situation as a premeditated action by key stakeholders of the opposition APC party revealing that the APC party is characterised by violence and thuggery, recalled the one-party reign of former President Siaka Stevens when similar incidents took place and went on to remind the nation that the SLPP government was democratically elected reiterating that the so-called strike was a plan to overthrown the democratically elected government as mercenaries from neighbouring countries joined the insurgents to unseat the ruling government that resulted to the brutal deaths of security forces and civilians.
The sad and uncalled for incident has attracted world attention as the United Nations and ECOWAS have issued statements strongly condemning the unauthorised protests and demanding that government brings the suspects to book as a deterrent at a time when the country is enjoying peace, democracy, freedom and tranquillity and will go the polls in June next year.
Even though the APC has distanced itself from the protests it is almost impossible to absolve the party as the violent clashes took place in all its strongholds in the Northwest of the country.