Abu Bakarr Sankoh, who was attached to the Youth Wing of the main opposition party, All People’s Congress (APC), is reported to have fled Sierra Leone after he was attacked and beaten mercilessly by some irate youths reportedly from the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in the capital, Freetown.
His ordeal started on 10 August 2022 during a nationwide protest. During the protest, many members and supporters of the APC were reportedly attacked; some were allegedly shot and killed whilst others were arrested, detained, and subsequently tried in court and later convicted.
In mid August 2022, Abu Bakarr Sankoh, who was a coach for young footballers, was walking home with a group of youths when they were reportedly attacked with sticks, batons, and other offensive weapons by some people who were allegedly wearing SLPP “Paopa” t-shirts. The attackers reportedly accused them of being active members of the APC and that they were some of those who masterminded the violence the previous day. They were said to have been mercilessly beaten which left Sankoh unconscious.
Luckily for Abu Bakarr Sankoh, one Hassan Kamara, a respectable elderly man in their community, was passing by and came to his rescue. Mr Kamara had him rushed to the Rokupr Hospital in central Freetown.
Few days later, whilst he was being treated at the Rokupr Hospital, he reportedly got a phone call from his mother at home who informed him that there was a Warrant of Arrest for him in relation to the nationwide protest of 10 August 2022.
His mother reportedly informed him that in a nationwide broadcast on both national radio and television, President Julius Maada Bio had referred to the protesters as “terrorists”.
Knowing that his life was now in extreme danger, Mr Hassan Kamara who had been constantly visiting him in the hospital reportedly decided to take Abu Bakarr Sankoh to an unknown place in the Northern Province of Sierra Leone to hide him.
He reportedly hid in that place for sometime hoping that things would calm down after the 2023 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.
But after the general elections, the SLPP won again though in controversial circumstances. Whilst still in hiding in the Northern Province, he reportedly received news from Mr Hassan Kamara that the SLPP youths were still searching for him and other APC youth leaders to harm them.
So, Abu Bakarr Sankoh reportedly fled Sierra Leone and his whereabouts are still unknown as of the time of going to press.