Here’s the whole story as Shared by Dr Sylvia Olayinka Blyden.

More Photos after the cut!

I am just off the phone with Opposition SLPP Strongman John Oponjo Benjamin (aka JOB) in Freetown. He has confirmed to me that his residence was attacked by about a dozen men armed with cutlasses, broken bottles and knives in very early hours of this morning.

JOB explains that the sudden return of Benjamin’s nephew from a party met the scene of the bunch of men at the gates with two of them scaling the wall. He raised an alarm and upon being vehemently approached by the invaders, he reportedly forcibly drove his vehicle through the gates banging it open and waking up residents and neighbors who reportedly repelled the invaders but only after a fierce fight.

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One of Benjamin’s neighbors, a popular store owner known as ‘Rasta’ attempted to chase the men after they were repelled by the residents. These photos are what the invaders did to Rasta when he caught up with them at the junction of the drive. He was stabbed in the stomach and on his head. Another resident who helped to successfully repel the invaders is also shown with stab wound on his forehead.

I understand everyone from President Koroma down to ordinary citizens are very concerned at this brazen attack on Benjamin which follows another recent brazen attack on Benjamin’s cousin and close political ally, Dr. John Karimu in broad daylight; again with knives and bottles. The attack on KARIMU was by their Opposition SLPP members displeased with refusal of Benjamin and Karimu to support their faction of the opposition SLPP.

The bitter internecine fight for supremacy in the SLPP, concerns all of us. Only recently, another Opposition SLPP presidential contender Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella, openly threatened his SLPP party members with tit for tat abuse as a response to the physical and verbal abuse from a faction of his SLPP group.

Sierra Leoneans are very concerned at these developments and we thank God that this morning’s brazen attack on the SLPP Opposition strongman, did not end up worse than these sad photos. My sympathies to Rasta and to all the residents of John Benjamin’s compound. You did not deserve this horror.

The Sierra Leone Police has meanwhile taken statements from Benjamin, his family members and neighbors and in-depth investigations continue. One suspect directly linked to Benjamin’s compound is being specially interrogated.