The November 26 attacks on Sierra Leone's weapons warehouse and the country's central Pademba Road Prisons was a "failed coup attempt," led mostly by bodyguards of the state's former President, Ernest Bai Koroma, aiming to overthrow the government. Sierra Leone's Information Minister Chernor Bah said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The minister added that currently no direct link has been established between the former leader and the plot, however, the investigation is still ongoing.
"The incident was a failed attempted coup. The intention was to illegally subvert and overthrow a democratically elected government. [...] The attempt failed, and plenty of the leaders are either in police custody or on the run. We will try to capture them and bring them to the full force of the laws of Sierra Leone," Bah.said.
In response to the Sunday attack on Sierra Leone's weapons depot in Freetown and the prison, the authorities introduced a curfew across the country, limiting it then to the nighttime hours of 9:00 pm to 6:00 am local time every day "until further notice."
Julius Maada Bio, the leader of the West African nation, revealed that "most of the [attackers'] leaders" were arrested and "investigations are ongoing."
The aftermath of the attacks resulted in approximately 21 casualties, with nearly 2,000 inmates escaping, as reported by Bangura.