Police in Sierra Leone have confirmed the death of opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party supporter and unofficial social media spokesman Hassan S. Dumbuya, a.k.a. Evangelist Samson, during a raid by security forces on August 14.
According to a police statement, Dumbuya was killed in the crossfire.
“Security forces acting on intelligence on the 14th of August 2022 stormed a place where ex-combatants had assembled poised to make further attacks, they took to their heels. While they were being pursued by the security forces, another group from a makeshift structure at Station Road in Makeni opened fire on them. During the crossfire, one Hassan S. Dumbuya aka Evangelist Samson was killed and four others were arrested. Those arrested are now helping the Police with the investigation,” Sierra Leone’s Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu said in a statement, as quoted by the Sierraloaded media outlet.
Security forces conducted raids on hideouts “following the insurrection by misguided individuals on the 10th of August 2022 destroying properties and loss of lives in the affected areas,” the police said in a statement.
Unauthorized rallies against the current government were held in the eastern part of Sierra Leone's capital Freetown and other cities.
According to the president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, the protesters sought to overthrow his government. The protests emerged amid rising costs of basic goods. Five police officers and 21 civilians were killed as a result of the protests.
The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) has been the governing party of the country since 2018. The SLPP came to power on April 4, 2018, when Julius Maada Bio was sworn in as president after winning the election.
The main political rival of the People's Party is the All People’s Congress (APC) party, which was in power from 2007 to 2018.