Lantern and Mask Devil Parades in Pictures

The Sierra Leone News Hunters is presently compiling pictures of yesterday's mask devils and lantern parades.

Stay connected with this blog as such photos are soon to be uploaded right here.

By Abdul Fonti

Paramount Chiefs Enter the Main Pitch

All one hundred and forty nine (149) Paramount Chiefs (PCs) from the various Chiefdoms across Sierra Leone are being escorted to the main pitch of the National Stadium in Freetown by their subjects.

Chiefdom by Chiefdom, the PCs are being carried on traditional hammocks into the pitch amid sounding of drums and displaying of various traditional crafts.

This means even the main pitch of the National Stadium is now being thronged by hundreds of people.

Various groups, including the army wives association and the Freetown Players Cultural Group are also making their way to the pitch right now.

Stay connected with the News Hunters for updates of events as they occur.

Few minutes ago, Vice President Sam Sumana, who was conspicuously absent ,appeared at the National Stadium and joined the President amid loud applauds.

By Abdul Fonti

5 Presidents Grace Salone Golden Jubilee

Five Presidents from various African countries are presently at the National Stadium in Freetown, Sierra Leone, gracing the country's 50th Independence Anniversary.

President Alpha Conde of Guinea, President  Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea, President Amadou Toumani Touré of Mali, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal have already been welcomed at the National Stadium by throngs of citizens and foreign nationals alike.

Two Vice Presidents from Ghana and Gambia, John Dramani Mahama and Aja Dr. Isatou Njie-Saidy are also in the country to celebrate with Sierra Leone.

All the twenty one stands and basement of the National Stadium in Freetown are already full to capacity with hundreds of people still struggling outside to gain access to the main bowl.

Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentarians, Paramount Chiefs, Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, and a host of dignitaries are all present at the Stadium.

The military and police band are all in attendance.

Earlier this morning, President Koroma delivered his independence message on national radio and television.

By Abdul Fonti 

Riot at SLPP Headquarters

Deadly fights broke out between supporters of Maada Bio and Usman Boie Kamara (both being flagbearer aspirants of the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party), at the party's Wallace Johnson Street Headquarters today.

Though the general atmosphere at the SLPP headquarters remained tense during the entire course of the day with various supporters of aspiring flagbearers raining abusive languages against each other, the actual fights started at about 3:30pm, when supporters of Maada Bio physically attacked Usman Boie Kamara in his vehicle, while the latter was leaving the party offices in the wake of a lunch break in the meeting of various stakeholders of the party that was being held at the Freetown headquaters of the party.

Teargas cannisters were fired by the police to disperse the rioters.
 

Several people have been injured and hospitalised.
 

More details in due course.

By Abdul Fonti