Samuel Kallon 
Africa24 news
The people of Sierra Leone are happy to see a fair ease on the night curfew as it has been shifted from 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
It means movement of people is now restricted from 12:00 a.m (midnight) to 6:00 in the morning.
Most Sierra Leoneans have reacted happily to the news on Monday 11th December when the national curfew was half lifted by the government.
Those who often sell at night would now have the chance to do so as they may conduct their business with easiness.
And those who run night clubs, bars and hotels are comforted with the news because of the adjustment on the time on the night curfew.
Earlier, when the night curfew was in place, some tea sellers had their views about the night curfew order.
“We’re so troubled by this curfew order by the government. We used to get more sales at night in this time of Christmas festive but now that there is curfew we don’t sell at all because the hours we usually start selling have been prohibited,” the night sellers complained.
“We hope that government works fast to pull away this night curfew or shift the timing further,” they had wished before the latest adjustment on the night curfew time was made.
The curfew was proclaimed on Monday 27, November, 2023 following an attempted “military coup” at Wilberforce Barracks in Freetown against the government of President Julius Maada Bio.
The curfew order was announced by the government to intensify its investigation on those responsible behind the attempted coup in the country.
Many suspects were arrested by the police and soldiers after the two days of reported guns shootings in the capital.
But on Monday 11th December, government announced an adjusting on time of the night curfew, and not only were night sellers happy about this news but also those who often go to night clubs to enjoy during Christmas festive season were happy too.
As lots of Sierra Leoneans from abroad poured into the country during end of year and new year season’s festive, these oversea merry makers expect to get more freedom while staying in their motherland.
Most of them like to go to night clubs, bars, hotels and restaurants to catch fun with their loved ones during the Christmas festive.
Owing to the freedom they often get in the country as Sierra Leoneans home and Sierra Leoneans season visitors from abroad, some home-based night club ‘enjoyers’ had hoped that government would see reason why it should lift the curfew to allow entertainment activities to go on as usual during this festive season.
One of the women in Waterloo had remarked a week ago praying for government to swiftly remove the night curfew in the country.
“We’ll be so happy if government entirely removes the night curfew; some of us will have to enjoy the Christmas festive this year,” she says.
As it stands, though many people especially night tea sellers and bar owners are happy over government’s decision to shift the time on the night curfew, there are others who wish it is [ curfew] removed entirely along with the nation’s string of checkpoints.
