Alhaji M. B. Jalloh: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 04 May 2020:
Police Headquarters in Freetown has instructed the CID not to allow any member of the opposition APC party to visit the detained consultant editor of the Awareness Times Newspaper – Dr Sylvia Olayinka Blyden.
Dr. Sylvia Blyden was arrested and detained by the P
olice at the CID since last Friday without charge. (Photo: Head of Police – Sovula).
Credible police sources told me this evening that two senior members of the APC, Hon. Ibrahim Ben Kargbo and Mr. Karamoh Kabba, the Deputy Organizing Secretary of the APC were denied access to see their comrade yesterday, who is reportedly detained under appalling condition, as her human rights are allegedly violated.
When contacted, the Inspector General of Police, Michael Ambrose Sovula (Photo) declined to comment.
Then came reports of 3 trucks of police escorting Dr. Sylvia Blyden to her residence to forcefully conduct a search of her property without obtaining keys to the property.
It is understood that the police wanted to break in to the house but her lawyer – Lansana Dumbuya implored the police not to do so, and Dr. Blyden was taken back to the CID.
A statement published yesterday by the National Publicity Secretariat of the opposition APC, titled -‘Arbitrary Arrest and Detention of Comrade Dr Sylvia Olayinka Blyden’, reads:
“The Attention of the All Peoples Congress (APC) has been drawn to the arbitrary arrest and detention of yet another senior member, Dr Sylvia Olayinka Blyden, of the All Peoples Congress (APC) by officers of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
“A cross section of the APC leadership and members visited the CID yesterday to see Dr Blyden and to ascertain reasons for her arrest. They were refused access to see her, and were also not told why she was arrested and detained at the CID.
“When the head of the investigation team, Mr MK Alieu was asked about what her charges were. He replied that they are still investigating the matter.
“Now, the police are searching everywhere for evidence while she is being held in custody: Yesterday, Mr MK Alieu told us that her telephone and laptop have been sent to the CID cyber unit in search of evidence. Today, according to one of her counsels, the police are returning to her house in further search of evidence.
“So, it is very crystal clear now that Dr Blyden has been held in custody without evidence of any sort, without charges and before investigations are conducted.
“While we call on all our members and supporters to remain calm, we are calling on the Government to ensure Dr Blyden’s basic fundamental human rights be respected.
“We are calling on the International Community and all Human Rights activists, institutions and organizations locally and internationally to prevail on the Government of Sierra Leone to halt the gross rights violation of Dr Blyden in particular and Sierra Leoneans in general.”
Yesterday, AYV TV journalist – Aruna Turay, told the Sierra Leone Telegraph: “This is police unprofessionalism at its peak. It is only in Sierra Leone that police who are being paid with citizens’ taxes, can do such and get away with it.
“Refusing to tell the public reasons why you arrested Dr. Blyden and still continue to detain her, will leave us sober journalists with the option of assuming that the country is being operated by an unprofessional remote controlled police force.
“And guess what Mr. IG and whosoever is behind or before you on this, no action of yours will keep us sober journalists silenced.. We owe it to Section 11 of our country’s constitution to hold our governments and their officials accountable.”
A State House source in Freetown told the Sierra Leone Telegraph last night that, Dr Blyden could be released on bail later today, Monday 4th May, three days after her arrest and detention without charge, as the nation goes into a three-day Coronavirus lockdown ordered by the president.
War,war,war…and more blood shed is when we will realise that we made the wrong choice because of tribalism.
Justice delayed is justice denied. Dr Sylvia Blyden must be released unconditionally. Punt uit! IG Sovula has nothing to comment on, because Dr Sylvia Blyden has done nothing wrong. Searching her devices did not bear fruit. After the failed attempt on her devices, they attempted to raid her home, looking for something they did not hide there, which itself is disgusting, not descent and not right. Typical NPRC junta tactics.
The IG can’t take any decisions without consulting, the Bio lead SLPP JUNTA part III leader, the Minister of Chiefs and the don’t care VP. If he does the contrary to his bosses, he will be sacked the next minute. Who will take care of him and his family? So, let’s be realistic and don’t blame the IG Sovula. A constitutional police reform is the only solution in 2023. God bless Dr Sylvia Blyden and see you soon.
All what l know is no police man will come and arrest or detain me because l don’t have any issues or fight with the law. The police must have tangible reasons for her arrest, let us just wait for them to finish their job.
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Incredible!! Only in Sierra Leone under the current PAOPA regime will peaceful citizens get arrested and victimize for simply expressing free speech. The remote control police will do anything instructed by their political masters without even considering the illegality of what they are being ask to do. Anyone with political influence can merely blow a whistle instructing the police to arrest someone, no questions will be ask by the police neither will they request for any evidence of a crime. Before the blink of an eye, the dummy law enforcement will go running, chasing with exasperation towards the target like hunting dogs. With all seriously, how much more dysfunctional does our state institutions needs to get before we demand for a complete emptying of the swamp?
It’s now crystal clear that the overzealous power hungry zealots of the POAPA regime are doing all these to silence any opposition to their tyrannical and tribalistic crusade being implemented in our beloved nation. For a while i sincerely thought APC were more ruthless and dogmatic, however, for the past 18 months, counting the unending repression of the media along with opposition members, there is no iota of doubt that this crop of SLPP with president Maada Bio at the helm is the worst repressive and dictatorial regime in recent history.