Tension is high in Songo following a shooting at the tollgate that left one person dead and another seriously injured.
According to eyewitness accounts, the incident began when a driver identified as Daniel Sesay reportedly bypassed the tollgate and used an alternative route that had been repaired by members of the local community. Witnesses say the action angered a soldier stationed at the toll point, who then opened fire on the vehicle.
Sesay and his apprentice were both struck by gunfire. The apprentice later died from his injuries yesterday morning. Sesay is said to be receiving medical treatment.
The shooting has reignited debate around the management of the tollgate, which operates under a Build-Operate-Transfer agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and the China Railway Seventh Group. The agreement grants the company a 25-year concession over the Wellington–Masiaka Highway, a four-lane road project reportedly valued at approximately 148 million United States dollars.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company is responsible for maintaining the highway, constructing and keeping alternative routes motorable, and supporting host communities affected by its operations. Residents in the area have previously raised concerns about the condition and accessibility of alternative roads.
Financial questions have also surrounded the tollgate for years. Reports indicate that the Masiaka Toll Gate generates an average of 21 million dollars annually. It is, however, alleged that in the nine years behind it, even as an estimated 172 million dollars are said to have been collected in fares, the government received a little over 1 million dollars.
The latest incident has brought even greater scrutiny, and there are calls for an investigation into not only the shooting but also the management of the toll road. So far, the authorities are yet to give an official press statement on what transpired to warrant the use of live bullets.
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As the community mourns the loss of one young life, the event has added fresh urgency to ongoing questions of accountability, transparency, and protection of civilians at facilities of public infrastructure.
