The inspector general said on Tuesday that 14 Sierra Leone service members, three current and former police officers and two civilians were arrested and are being investigated for ‘subversion’, while a manhunt for another 8 are in progress.
Police last week said they had arrested several people for planning violent attacks on the anniversary of deadly riots in August 2022 that left more than 30 people dead.
They said they were “working to undermine the peace and tranquility of the state” and planned to use the peaceful protests scheduled for this week “as a pretext to carry out attacks” violence against state organizations and peace-loving citizens”.
Of the 14 members of the armed forces arrested, eight had ranks ranging from lieutenant to major, while six were non-commissioned officers with ranks ranging from private to sergeant, Inspector General William Fayia Sellu said at a news conference on Tuesday.
He said a manhunt was underway for five other soldiers and three police officers.
“There is full control and security has been tightened,” Fayia Sellu said. “Police have stepped up security and intelligence across the country.”
The inspector general added that Sierra Leone has called on Interpol to help extradite any suspects found abroad.
On Monday, Liberian Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie told AFP that Mohammed Yaetey Turay, a former police commissioner fired in 2020, had been arrested in that country at the request of Sierra Leonean authorities.
Sierra Leonean Information Minister Chernor Bah confirmed to AFP that Turay’s arrest was related “to the plans discovered by the state security, of number of individuals who want to undermine the peace of the nation and cause harm against our citizens”.
“He is helping with the investigation,” the minister said. On August 10 last year, economic and political protests in the capital Freetown and other cities turned into deadly clashes.
According to official figures, 27 civilians and 6 police officers were killed.
