By: Saidu Jalloh, Reporter, D.S.
The Mend Street/Circular Road community is engulfed in an overwhelming wave of grief and sorrow following a heart-wrenching incident that claimed the lives of two innocent children and left another severely injured at the National Pentecostal School on Fort Street. This tragedy unfolded on March 18, when three children, including just three-year-old Yusuf, mysteriously went missing during what should have been a safe and nurturing school day.
The community sprang into action, fueled by desperation and hope, as they combed the area after uncovering the children’s backpacks on school grounds. However, what began as a search for lost children quickly descended into a nightmare. In a devastating turn of events, the lifeless bodies of Yusuf and another child were discovered in a vehicle within the school premises. Meanwhile, a third child, a young girl, was found gravely injured, bearing the terrible marks of abuse that raised harrowing concerns about the possibility of sexual violence. Miraculously, a fourth child was confirmed to be safe, but the deep wounds of trauma have left an indelible scar on the hearts of this community.
Witnesses report with choking sobs that little Yusuf’s arms had been amputated, a detail that has sent shockwaves of anguish and anger rippling through the community. Parents, friends, and neighbors gathered, their hearts heavy with sorrow, and in their emotional turmoil, some attempted to breach the school grounds out of despair and frustration, leading to acts of vandalism at both the school and a nearby church.
As tensions escalated and the air thickened with grief, the Sierra Leone Police stepped in to restore order, deploying tear gas to disperse the increasingly agitated crowd—a haunting reminder of the pain and sorrow that now hangs over this community.
For further updates and reflections on this tragic event, please read tomorrow’s publication of the Daily Scope Newspaper.
