Wanted: Rights Activist

By Alhassan Bangura
Mamoud Keita, a rights activist, was among those arrested on August 10, 2022, at PZ, one of the flashpoints of the numerous protest gatherings on that day, protests that claimed the lives of not only civilians but some police personnel as well.
According to the police, he was one of those protesting against the ruling SLPP regime, suspected for organizing youths to disrupt the peace, even attacking police officers who were trying to restore order. But during his open detention at the Central Police Station, some police officers said Mamoud, who was frog matched to the police station by some SLPP vigilantes, maintained that he was with the protesters because he was trying to instill some sanity regarding their violent protesting.
The police state that being a prime suspect of the August 10 protest, he is being looked for; and that they are still investigating how he managed to escape from police custody.
Asking some of his acquaintances at his Kingtom neighborhood, a neighbor afraid to be associated with Mamoud, said they have not seen or heard from Mamoud since he escaped from police custody; and that he is afraid as he doesn’t know whether Mamoud is dead or alive, considering the people who have disappeared without trace in the wake of the August 10 deadly riots.
The police have declared Mahmoud wanted.