Bandit group “Barons” Investigated

A seven year old boy, Ishmael A. Turay, of # 5 Lower Mellon Street Wellington, had his hands fractured/broken by a bandit squad that call themselves "Barons" for water.

According to Hawa Kamara, the mother of the boy, it was on February 6, 2008 that several young people belonging to the bandit group "Barons" entered the compound her and her son are living in to fetch water. It was about 11:00 p.m. It was during the time that the youths entered the compound that an argument ensued between the youth and the owners of the well. This well is the property of Ishmael's father. The argument prolonged and became bitter between Ishmael's father and the youths. During the confrontation Ishmael was sleeping. The argument continued and it became nuisance for tenants and most of the tenants came to talk to the youths but did not succeed. At a time, these bandits started to pelt the house with stones which made all the tenants dash into the house.

Madam Hawa said that it did not stop at throwing stones at the house but the gang rushed into the house and started beating people in the house. It was during that time that one of the said youths, known as "Big G" held Ishmael and twisted his hand and fractured/broke it.

These boys are said to be very notorious of these kinds of actions and have been boasting around that no one can do them anything not even the Police. According to trustworthy sources, these youth has been seen saying that the Police are afraid of them. According to Madam Hawa no sooner had she noticed that the hand of her son was fractured/broken, she rushed to the Wellington Police Post.

Madam Hawa said her matter was investigated by one Police officer called S. Dukuray. She said that since she reported the matter on the 7th February 2008, during when her child was in a critical condition, no proper attention has been given to the matter. Madam Hawa expressed the kind of humiliation she is going through by this Baron squad. She said that, every day these youths send provocative words which make her feel bad.

However, since Sierra Express started to follow up the matter some seriousness has been allocated to the matter. The matter is currently on the desk of one A.A Gebbeh at the Kissy Police Station. Mr. Gebbeh has promised to use his good office to bring the suspects to book and charge to court. Sources have further revealed that upon the speedy attention accorded by Mr. Gebbeh on the matter, the youths have resorted to making a counter report at the Calaba Town Police station. However, residents of the Wellington Police Post have revealed to this press that, the post is very fond of neglecting people's cases for trivial material things. In fact the post has been named "Cookery Police Post". It is said that all one need to throw a case under the carpet at that post is to buy a plate of rice for the bosses of the post. When our reporter put that allegation to the Commander of the Post, Inspector Conteh, he vehemently denied it and said that it is to the contrary. He said that since the end of the elections, the people of Wellington have not been cooperating with the Police as the community Police requires. He said that the people themselves treat their cases with neglect. He said, most of the time people will report their cases and will not cooperate with the investigators because the majority of the time they do settle the matters out of Police control.

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!