By: Alusine Rehme Wilson
Yesterday, the Northeastern city of Makeni would have lost valuable lives and prosperities as a result of widespread misinformation by word of mouth and on social media.
This would have happened if not for the joint and swift interventions of the Media, Executive Members of the Bombali District Bike Riders Union, Councilors and the Local Unit Commander of the Rogbaneh Police Station, Assistant Commissioner of Police Esther Kaintor Dukuray to calm the two hours plus long unrest in the city.
Between the hours of 11:00am to 2:00pm on Thursday, some bike-riders went bazaar and barricaded with their motorbikes main streets along the central business district-(CBD) of the municipality upon receiving rumors that one of their members has been shot and killed by a police officer.
The increasing number of the bike riders and their motorbikes blowing their horns loudly feared away the petty traders who have converged at the central market to sell their products as usual.
The petty traders parked their businesses and rushed to collect their children at schools while spreading the same rumors to others, and on their mad rushes shop owners were gripped with fear and they also closed their shops and rushed home.
Upon sensing the situation of unrest with my cell phones ringing repeatedly with known and unknown numbers from within and across Makeni asking questions about an ongoing riot between the Police and Bike riders over the alleged killing of a bike rider, I replied severally that it’s yet to my knowledge but I avowed to investigate and later on report comprehensively.
I boarded on my motorbike and headed to the central business area and on my way people were running, telling others not to go to the CBD but were unable to explain why?
Upon arriving at the CBD I came across some Executive Members of the Bombali District Bike Riders Union-(BRU) including their Public Relations Officer Ishmaiel Dumbuya warning their members to desist from the said protest, I asked him what’s up and he told me our men are up at it again haven received some false rumors that one of us has been shot dead by a police officer.
I left their side and joined a team of Councilors few meters off the Clock tower who told me without asking even that they are almost succeeding to calm the unrest but have warned the Police to retreat their full armed personal in their Toyota operations van to reduce the panic in the city.
Few minutes later the BRU Spokesman was on a local network giving account of the unfortunate Thursday occurrence, clarified that none of their rider was shot by any policeman and that few have been arrested who were mounting a riot but that people should return to their normal businesses.
Calm was finally retorted in the city when the LUC of the Rogbaneh Police Station ordered for the release of the few Bike Riders that were arrested doing the short-lived rioting.
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