The curfew that was in place at night in Sierra Leone after armed men freed prisoners has been temporarily lifted.
The information minister of the West African country announced on Sunday morning that detainees from several “major” facilities had been released.
Later, President Julius Maada Bio announced that the majority of the attack’s leaders had been taken into custody.
He called the events a “breach of security” and an attack on democracy in a televised speech.
He refrained from referring to them as a coup attempt.
He said that everything was back to normal, but he did not say who the offenders were or what their intentions were.
The information ministry announces that a new nine-hour nighttime curfew will take effect on Monday at 21:00 local time (21:00 GMT).
READ ALSO: Newspaper Headlines: Monday, November 27, 2023 – InsightNewsgh.com
International observers have denounced acts of violence and intimidation, as well as irregularities and a lack of transparency in the count.
The Ministry of Information imposed an immediate curfew following the attack, and it was scheduled to end at 6:00 (GMT) on Monday. Flights to and from the country’s sole international airport have been canceled, and residents have been “strongly” advised to stay inside.
The BBC saw soldiers in Freetown on Sunday morning lugging around heavy weapons in a commandeered police car, while other soldiers were yelling that they were going to “clean Sierra Leone.”
The precise number of released inmates is unknown, but social media videos appear to show a number of people running out of the Central Pademba Road prison in Freetown.
In one video, well-known rapper Boss LAJ—who was jailed last year on robbery charges—seemed to be cruising around.
These videos have not been verified by the BBC.
Several soldiers were detained in August on charges of attempting to overthrow the president.
