After “some unidentified individuals” attempted to breach into Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown, the government of Sierra Leone has imposed a national curfew.

In a statement released today, Chernor Bah, the minister of communications and civic education for Sierra Leone, said that early on Sunday morning, armed individuals broke into the Wilberforce Barracks, which is home to several foreign embassies, including those from China, Germany, Austria, the Gambia, Lebanon, and Syria.

Bah claims that the matter was handled by the nation’s security services prior to it developing into a significant emergency.

According to the statement, “several unidentified individuals attempted to break into the military armory at Wilberforce barracks in the early hours of Sunday, November 26th, 2023.”

“All of them have received rejection. The people can feel secure knowing that state security forces and the administration are in charge,” the statement reads.

There is an immediate nationwide curfew in place to allow the security forces to continue their efforts to apprehend the culprits.

Early on Sunday, there were reports of heavy shooting in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. According to sources, the president’s lodge and the main military barracks at Wilberforce are the source of the firing.

At two in the morning, the residents of Wilberforce and Spur Road communities were startled awake by intermittent gunfire. Shots would occasionally resound throughout the neighborhood till five in the morning.

Prison authorities have confirmed that Sierra Leone’s central Pademba Road prison has been breached, and the inmates have been set free.