If I had a gun would anyone beat me up … that’s not possible.” The man at the centre of the alleged assassination attempt on the life of the APC leader Mr Tom Nyuma spoke to us on the phone line from Bo where he was being treated for wounds he got from the severe beating at the hands of security guards of the APC leader.
The fast talking Tom Nyuma explained that he was coming in from Koindu and “I was tired but the proprietor of the hotel is my relative and I had called earlier and made a reservation.”
He went on “When I came I was very tired so I went straight to my room. I did not know that APC people were in the hotel. I told the proprietor I am supposed to travel in the morning with John Benjamin who will be coming later on.”
He continued “I was sleeping and usually I lock my door. One of my boys woke me up and told me that the hotel is full of APC people.”
“So my intention was to open up the door and talk to them because we can have different political beliefs but we are all the same people” he said.
“As soon as I opened up the door they rushed into the room and started beating me up.”
He stated “It was their leader Hon Bai Koroma who opened his door and told them to stop beating me, later on Dabo (LUC) came and rescued me.”
He lamented “By that time they had looted all my property, my lap top, my hand held video camera, I even lost my eye glasses.”
He opined “I think their real intention was to loot. In that short time they had vandalized and looted all my property.”The former NPRC official however said “I don’t blame anybody and I am not bitter, but the APC boys were very indisciplined and violent.”
He noted “I don’t think they had any orders from Hon. Bai Koroma.”
Questioned how he came to be opposite Ernest Koroma’s room he said “Maybe you need to ask the proprietor or the Managress why they decided to put me next to them because he was in room three and I was in room four, it was totally surprising because John Benjamin was also in the hotel he was lodged in the west wing he was very surprised.” Questioned about the allegations that he was found at the door of the APC leader he said “it is all lies” adding “They even said I had a gun, if I had a gun would I allow a man to beat me up like that – that is not possible I think their real intention was to loot, but I thank God I came out with my life and I thank Doc (Yilla), because I was unconscious and he did a lot for me … as I said I thank God I came out with my life that is what is important.”