A curfew has been imposed in Sierra Leone after an armed attack by gunmen on a military checkpoint and an attempted looting at an armory in the capital, Freetown, today.
In a statement issued by the government, it was stated, “On Saturday night, unidentified armed individuals entered a Wilberforce military checkpoint and attempted to loot weapons from an armory. They were repelled. Following this incident, a curfew has been imposed nationwide.”
The statement further mentioned, “Citizens are instructed to stay in their homes.” It is also emphasized that the current situation is under the control of the security forces.
Today, during the attack on the military checkpoint, some prisoners escaped from the central prison in the capital. However, the exact number of escaped prisoners is still unknown.
In June, President Julius Maada Bio was re-elected in a controversial election in Sierra Leone. However, allegations of fraud raised by the opposition led to political tensions. Since then, the country in West Africa has been experiencing instability. Analysts suggest that today’s attempted arms robbery and the ongoing curfew are consequences of this instability.
