By Mamajah Jalloh
Freetown, Sierra Leone — Ibrahim Samura, a 23-year-old motorcycle rider, has been remanded at the Male Correctional Center in Freetown after being charged with murder. Samura appeared before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1, where he faced a single count of murder under the Offense Against the Person Act of 1861, as amended by the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act of 2021.
The alleged incident took place on Saturday, May 25, 2024, in Gloucester Village, Freetown, where Samura is accused of murdering Alfred Jusu. When the charge was read to the accused, no plea was taken.
During the court session, Sergeant 9939 Lahi M. called the first witness, Timothy Saio, a carpenter who identified himself as the cousin of the deceased. Saio testified that he recognized both the accused and the deceased.
Recalling the events of the day, Saio said he was at his office when he received a call from a bike rider named Bobson, informing him of the incident. He rushed to the scene in Gloucester but was told that the deceased had already been taken by police to the mortuary. Upon arriving at the hospital, Saio requested to see the remains of his cousin but was denied access, being told that the deceased was brought in as a suspected thief.
The following day, Saio, along with a bike rider, the Regent Councilor, and the Gloucester Headman, visited Akon Police Station. They were directed back to the hospital, where they were finally allowed to identify the deceased before his body was handed over to them.
Saio stated that he subsequently returned to the police station to give his statement regarding the incident. However, the prosecutor requested an adjournment to allow for a more thorough preparation with the witness, noting that Saio was struggling to provide his testimony.
Magistrate Kekura denied bail for Samura and adjourned the case to September 6, 2024.
