By Tabora Bojang
Police have arrested and are processing dozens of suspects mainly from Gunjur in connection with a bloody attack on three Immigration officers posted at the border only a day earlier.
The officers, apparently unarmed, were surprised by unknown people who raided their station on Thursday night.
Immigration spokesman, Superintendent Mamanding S Dibba said the attackers are believed to be about 10 or more people armed with “single barrel hunting guns” machetes, sticks and house-breaking materials as they attacked the unarmed officers who they overwhelmed before running away.
He confirmed that three officers, including a firefighter who rushed there for reinforcement sustained injuries on their heads, faces and necks and are currently receiving treatment at the Brikama hospital.
He also said one of the officers injured in the brawl confirmed to the authorities that the attackers were heard speaking Susu, a language widely spoken in Guinea, and some not too fluent Wolof.
PRO Dibba also confirmed that the assailants did not make any request or demand and did not take away any item from the station during the attack.
“They just caught our officers by surprise in the middle of the night and started assaulting them. This is a security concern that we ought to work together [men in uniform and the community] to be able to address.”
The attack has sparked wild public debates as several commentators describe it as deterioration of an already worrying security situation in the country. Many others questioned the competence of security heads for allowing border post officers to work without arms exposing them to risk from bandits. ”Pure incompetence and sheer amateurism,” one former security officer told The Standard.
Meanwhile, the police announced on Saturday that patrols conducted around the Gunjur beach area following the attack led to the arrest of 39 suspects.
They are currently being processed for possible prosecution.
