The city of Freetown was rocked with news of an alleged assassination attempt on the life of the main opposition candidate Ernest Koroma at a guest house in Bo in the early hours of yesterday Monday morning.
Accordingly we stumbled on a leaked report on the situation by the Human Rights and Rule of Law Section of the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) which officers in Bo went to the scene and gave an overview of the alleged assassination attempt, at the Country side guest house in Bo.
According to the report, Ernest Koroma reportedly told the UNIOSIL Human Rights Officers that, “at around 4:00a.m this morning I heard a scuffle at my door but was afraid to come out as it seemed unsafe,” after which, “I then called the Inspector-General of Police who called the LUC (Local Unit Commander) in Bo.”
Continuing his narration the APC flag bearer reported that some ten minutes later, “his bodyguard informed him that it was safe to come out and that was when he saw Tom Nyuma and Phillip Jimmy tied up.”
The report further alleged that Mr Koroma informed the officers “that the Police found 50 rounds of ammunition for a nine millimeter firearm in Tom Nyuma’s vehicle.”
The UNIOSIL Human Rights officers stated that “the office also verified that the door handle of Ernest Koroma’s room was broken and that Nyuma’s room no 4 was opposite Ernest Koroma’s room no. 5.”
“the APC entourage claimed they had no idea that Tom Nyuma and others were staying in the room opposite to their leader” the report added.
The officers noted “Leather Boot told the team that he heard a noise and when he went to check on Mr. Koroma, he met Tom Nyuma at his door attempting to enter his room.”
Tom Nyuma’s group claimed that they had lodged at the Guest house and woken up early at about 4:00am to wait for the Minister of Finance John Benjamin who was supposed to pick them up to proceed to Freetown.
They further claimed that they were packed to go when former RUF member Idrissa Kamara aka ‘leather boot’, Sorie Bah Mansaray, Idrissa Sesay and Attouga (all former RUF members) attacked, beat and tied them up.
Local Unit Commander F.U.K. Daboh, reported that he was informed about the incident at about 4:30am and immediately went to the scene with another police officer Yeteyeteh, where they found Nyuma and the others already tied up by the APC’s security guard.
Daboh reportedly took custody of them and took them over to the police station for further investigations.
Efforts to get Tom Nyuma himself proved futile as he was admitted at the hospital..
However on the line to Bo Dr Yilla who treated Tom Nyuma told Awoko that “he was brought in unconscious with head and facial injuries. His face was swollen, but we have been able to stitch him and stop the bleeding.”
The Medical Doctor was however cautious in describing the actual state of Tom Nyuma saying he preferred to observe him for 24 hours before saying anything more.