From Winnipeg, Canada, respect to all my fam, fans, and friends!

The weekend vibes are here – Ernest Bai Koroma in hot water, Nigerian student killed by Winnipeg Police in Winnipeg, remembering January 6, 1999, November 26, 2023 “attempted coup d’etat” in the question of the day, plus lots more. You're about to read another neck-breaking edition of “Behind the Scenes". This column is the radical thoughts of one guy called Lans Omar aka the “Golden Child” - born and raised in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Let's do this: Former President Ernest Bai Koroma is in serious trouble and if he doesn’t take this serious, this will land him a life sentence in prison.  Koroma is charged with treason over the November 26, 2023 “attempted coup” in Sierra Leone. The former president has been charged with four counts of treason and has denied all four charges and he’s currently under house arrest at his residence in Freetown. He was in court on Wednesday January 3, 2024 as the charges were read to him. He has previously denied involvement in the “attempted coup” and has maintained that.

Last November, gunmen broke into the military armoury and Pademba Road Prison in Freetown, freeing almost 2,000 inmates. Twelve others were on Tuesday charged over the “attempted coup”, including one of the former president's bodyguards, all the accused persons are Northerners and mostly members of the APC opposition party – nor to dis dae bring cam war again – may Allah avert that. Besides the SLPP supporters, many political commentators have lamented that this is a plot by President Maada Bio to have the former president locked up for the rest of his life in prison, smh. Nor to God pull some of we nar that rotten country dae. What the F**K? Good thing I don’t belong to any nasty political party in Sierra Leone.

Switching gears: A 19-year-old Nigerian international student in Winnipeg, Canada, has been identified as Stephen Afolabi Opaso, aka Zigi, was shot dead by Winnipeg Police on New Year’s Eve December 31, 2023, this has sparked reactions from the African communities and especially the Nigerian communities across Canada. Opaso, a student at the University of Manitoba was acting erratically with a knife in his hand in his own apartment suite in the 100 block of University Crescent apartment. Apparently, Opaso was experiencing a mental health distress and was wielding the knife when the police arrived. The police yelled “Drop the knife” only once before firing three shots at the young man. Bad police officers.

Next stop: Exactly a quarter of a century ago (25yrs), in the early hours of January 6, l999, rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) launched an offensive attack against the Sierra Leone capital, Freetown, capturing it from government troops and the soldiers of the Nigerian-led peacekeeping force (ECOMOG). January 6, 1999 was the day Freetown wept tears of blood. Today January 6, 2024, 25yrs later, we remember all the lives lost in that deadly and brutal attack on the people of Sierra Leone.

Question: Just asking – Was the November 26, 2023 “attempted coup” a real attempted coup or a security breach”? Just asking

Finally: Again, the weekend is here! It’s my favourite time of the week as I only work Mondays to Fridays – 8:00am to 4:00pm with the Government of Canada/Service Canada. Today, I’ll will be chilling at home with my babe-lady, the ever-pretty Mrs. Vivian Omar.

Fellas, just so you know the Winnipeg Police Checkstop is still in effect for the holidays.  If you plan a drink, you know the rules, right? If you’re drinking, don’t drive – if you’re driving, don’t drink. Have a great weekend! Lonta.

I'm out of here!

Cheers fellas!

The Golden Child.