By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
Irate youths on Saturday September 28th turned their anger on Hindolo Moiwo Gevao, Member of Parliament of Constituency 003 in Kailahun, after he pleaded with them to forgive a colleague lawyer.
Narrating his ordeal to Salone Fact Checker, Gevao noted while at his home in Regent, Western Rural District of Freetown doing some maintenance of the road, he spotted a Four-Runner jeep climbing the hill where he was working.
He added, the occupant of the jeep was his colleague lawyer John Tamba Trye.
“I asked John what he was doing in my community and he told me he was sent by Arnold Gooding to look at a piece of land. He went on to look at the land, and I did not see him look at the land; I don’t know the direction he went, but after few minutes, I saw angry youths coming down towards John,” said the honourable member.
According to honourable Gevao, one of the youths raised a machete against John, which prompted him to intervene “I pleaded with them not to harm the man because he was merely trying to look at a piece of land. The other two heeded my advice and didn’t touch John, they merely assaulted him,’’ he said.
The irate youths then turned on honourable Gevao, threatening to cut off the heads of his children. As one of them took out a knife to stab him, the honourable member ran into his compound, and called the Sierra Leone Police.
Honourable Gevao said the first set of police officers that came to his rescue weren’t able to match the number of his attackers. And so, he had to call AYV Radio to announce his house was under attack.
“The announcement caught the attention of the Inspector General of Police who sent three sets of officers to my residence,” said Gevao.
“But before the three sets of Police officers arrived, they had now started pelting stones on my house which destroyed my entire roof top and damaged my vehicle. The Police were able to make some arrests; but some of them are still on the run. The man who sent them, Karamoh Kanneh and Eddie, one of those who threatened to kill me and chop off the head of my child are also on the run.”
“Even as I speak I’m scared; my life is not safe. I don’t stay out after 7pm for fear that they can still attack and kill me,’’ honourable Gevao revealed.
He noted the lack of commitment from the Police to investigate on his attackers.
The MP further said, that his life and that of his family were in danger, adding that, “It is the responsibility of the state to accord me protection as a citizen of Sierra Leone, irrespective of the fact that I am a Member of Parliament.”
“If I come under attack, it’s the responsibility of the state to protect me and I should be able to see sufficient commitment on the part of the Police; that they are applying efforts for my protection. It’s no child’s play. In England a Member of Parliament Joe Cox was killed. I don’t want the nation to sit by and look at this situation, as if somebody is just trying to make up a story. I consider it very serious’’