Umaru Fofana, a renowned journalist at BBC in Sierra Leone, experienced an unwelcome visit from thieves on Thursday, marking the third incident in many months.

Taking to his Facebook page, Fofana expressed his intention to apply for a taser or even a gun in the following week. He justified this decision, stating, “Thieves paid us a visit again last night – the third time in as many months.”

During the previous break-ins, Fofana suffered losses, including a water pump, spare parts for a standby generator, and kitchen utensils. Having learned from those experiences, he ensured that no easily portable items were left outside.

He recounted the events of the most recent visit, explaining, “Last night, amidst heavy rainfall, a thief or thieves removed a security bulb that was positioned in a concealed location, illuminating the entire side alley. My son noticed the intruder and woke me up. From upstairs, we could see a moving figure in the dark alley after the bulb was removed. If I had a taser, I could have easily immobilized him. Instead, we decided to raise the alarm, and he fled.”

Upon daybreak, further damage was discovered. Fofana shared, “We found that he had also cut the pipe connecting the outdoor and wall-mounted indoor split units of our air conditioning system. It appears he may have intended to steal the entire outdoor unit.”

Fofana warned that the intruder would not be as fortunate in the future, as he would be prepared. He also urged parents in the Kingtom area to caution their children, stating, “Next time, he won’t be so lucky. Someone from Kingtom should warn their kids because the thief might not target distant areas.”