A land dispute in the Tainkatops Makama Sayronko chiefdom in the Port Loko District, northern Sierra Leone, has resulted to the burning of ten houses and the beating and subsequent wounding of five police personnel.
Several villagers are said to have been mercilessly beaten up and property worth millions of Leones lost in the skirmish.
The fracas erupted last Thursday at about 8:20am when Alhaji Dauda Kargbo of Robonkeh village went to collect some pieces of board from the disputed bush. He was attacked by a group of people believed to have been led by one Karim Kargbo of Rokel Village who claimed to be the owner of the said bush.
The Operations Officer at the Port Loko Police Station, Assistant Superintendent A.S.P Lakoh, disclosed to our reporter that Alhaji Dauda Kargbo mobilized supporters and attacked the people of Rokel Village, leaving lots of people badly injured.
A team of police personnel, headed by the crimes officer at the Port Loko Police Station Sgt Vandy, was deployed at the scene.
This team reportedly advised both parties to keep the peace and allow the police to investigate the matter.
But sources say that night the people of Kowikay Village headed by one ex- soldier named Edward Kargbo allegedly went and attacked Rokel village.
A team of police officials was immediately dispatched to the scene again but the mob over powered the police and beat them up.
Meanwhile, the newly transferred support officer, Assistant Superintendent Emmanuel Santigie Kargbo, has described the incident as an unfortunate development.
He said, “the place is currently a no-go area but I have summoned a commanders’ meeting to brainstorm on a workable situation to once again bring peace and sanity to the two communities”.
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