The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has vehemently condemned an attack on the office and staff of Hope Radio FM 93.3 in Makeni, northern Sierra Leone, in the afternoon hours of Monday 23rd October 2023 by a group of thugs allegedly sent by one Alie Benson Conteh, who is the landlord of the premises.
The thugs forcefully entered the radio building, vandalized equipment and physically manhandled several staff.
The proprietor of the radio, Stanley Bangura Jr., who arrived at the scene after alerting the Police, was also assaulted by a man identified as ‘Babah Bio’.
The radio station has a Tenancy Agreement which is to expire on 31 December 2023. The police in Makeni are now investigating the matter and have made some arrests, while the some staff of the radio are responding to treatment at the Makeni Regional Hospital.
The SLAJ President, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, and a cross-section of his executive visited the Mena Police Station in Makeni on their way from Bumbuna to inquire about the matter. The North-East Regional Commander, AIG Aiah Edward Samadia told the SLAJ delegation that the owners of the premises and their lawyer came to the police station on Sunday 22 October 2023 requesting the police to forcefully evict the radio but he advised them to follow due process.
“An attack on a radio station and its journalists is an attack on democracy. It is amazing how Sierra Leoneans have developed the culture of taking the law into their hands. This lawlessness must stop, and we urge the Police to ensure the alleged culprits are brought to book,” said Mr Nasralla.