By Mabinty M. Kamara
At least one person was reported dead after a riot broke out in the Pademba Road Correctional Center on Wednesday.
It was a chaotic scene in and around the prison precinct, as security forces battled with the rioting inmates. Photos and video footages of the scenes showed a huge blaze from within the compound.
Sources told Politico that the dead victim is a prison guard.
There were also several injuries among the prisoners, attributed to the scramble as they tried to find their way out of the skirmish.
The prison authorities did not respond to our request for comments and clarification as at the time of going to press.
Minister of Information, Mohamed Rahaman Swaray, described as ‘excessive’ the damage caused by the fire outbreak. He said “major historic edifices” within the maximum security prison were destroyed, including the reception, the carpentry workshop, the medical unit, and the kitchen.
Swaray told Politico that security personnel were able to prevent the escape of some inmates.
“We are currently counting the cost of the damage. The Sierra Leone fire force came in and they were able to extinguish the fire. A joint security deployment was done there which largely prevented any prison escape,” he said.
“We are still trying to confirm whether there were any deaths. But I cannot at this stage confirm or deny,” the minister added.
The incident affected other parts of Freetown, especially within the central business district, where business people shut their doors in fear of widespread violence.
The Pademba Road Prison was established in 1914 to house about 324 inmates. It however currently houses about 1, 500 inmates, according to official sources.
The congestion has been partly due to the delay in the administration of justice.
Wednesday’s riot comes three days after the confirmation of the first case of the Covid-19 in the prison system. The case is an inmate who was remanded within the Pademnba prison facility. That development led the judiciary to suspend all court activities nationwide, amidst efforts to prevent further spread of the virus within the prison system and the judiciary.
Prior to Wednesday’s incident, President Julius Maada Bio had approved the release of 235 inmates from correctional centers across the country in honor of the celebration of the country’s 59th Independence Anniversary.
Pademba Road is currently home to former Defense Minister, Major (rtd) Alfred Paolo Conteh, who is facing treason charges. There were concerns about his safety and security and those of other high profile inmates, amidst the violence.
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