Opinion Editorial

 POLICE BRUTALITY IN SIERRA LEONE; A Case For Concern

By; Ejatu Jalloh

The Sierra Leone Police are labelled as a "Force For Good" to the people since the end of the civil war in Sierra Leone. During the war in Sierra Leone, the citizens had lost hope in all forces;

In any given nation, the police are expected to protect the lives and properties of the people, not to harm  them or destroy their properties. In a case were the citizens break the law, they should punish them in accordance of the laws of Sierra Leone. According to section 20(1) of the 1991 constitution, no person “shall be subjected to any form of torture or any other treatment which is inhumane  or degrading”. This is the contrary of what had been happening.

The months of June and July 2022 has seen the Sierra Leone Police committing series of human rights violations, terrorizing and brutalizing ordinary citizens and opposition figures in the country.

On the 12th June 2022, the SLP arrested and detained popular singer Amadu Bah (LAJ) on allegations of rubbery and assault. Days later, reports surfaced that, the dredlocks of the singer (LAJ) has been shaved off and a certain red substance had been injected in him. The Police at first denied these reports, but later confirmed in a press release that, they had indeed shaved the dredlocks of the singer coating their "SOP" but denied injecting him with any substance. 

This act by the police receives widespread condemnation from the public, as social media was flooded with solidarity messages in favor of the singer. Human Rights groups, lawyers and CSOs outrightly condemn the action of the police calling it human rights violation. 

Climaxing that ugly situation, the Inspector General of Police speaking to BBC said, they had to cut off the hair of LAJ, because he wanted to strangle himself and commit suicide using his hair. 

Fast forward to July, the Police took the spotlight again when groups of women decided to embark on a protest over the continued economic hardship in the country. 

On Monday, July 4th, amidst torrential rain fall, hundreds of women decided to took to the streets of Freetown to express their dismay over the economic situation in the country. The police, instead of providing security for the people decided to terrorize and arrest the women. Several women were arrested, but one that caught the public's attention was the arrest of a peaceful citizen named Adama Yeroh Jalloh by State House Officials. 

Adama Jalloh, a University student was brutalized and  accused of communicating and updating former President Koroma on the ongoing protest then.

In a video that surfaced on social media, some State House officers explained that, Adama Jalloh was heard and seen standing around the bank of Sierra Leone talking to former President Ernest Bai Koroma, and other renowned APC members, concerning the protest against the price increase in fuel and goods.

She was then taken to State House where she was physically abused by the so police (SLP). Adama Jalloh was later taken to the CID where she was locked up, a friend of hers visited her at the CID and  was seen with a swollen face and some bruises as a result of the beaten she got from the police officers on that fateful day. This has been the continued action of the police on ordinary citizens. 

In terms of political opponents, the police have made themselves seen as a regime protection force,  Madam Femi Cladius Cole, Leader of Unity Party, was arrested on July 3rd by the police alleging that, she had incited the women to embark on the strike action. Dr. Dennis Bright, Chairman and Leader of the National Grand Coalition Party (NGC) was also arrested and detained by the police after he had accompanied Madam Femi Cole to the CID. Both Opposition Leaders were detained for over 72 hours, thereby going against the stipulated timeframe in which the police can detain a suspect for an allege crime like that. 

Interestingly, the Police in their Press Release issued on 6th July 2022 relating to the detention of Dr. Bright and Madam Femi, were unable to give or mention any evidence of "incitement" caused by Dr. Bright or Madam Femi. This is how disingenuous our "Force for Good" has become. They just wake up and arrest anyone they feel like arresting overnight, detain you for over 72 hours and come up with some flimsy press release to launder their already dirty image.

Section 17 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone 1991 and Section 80 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1965 are the extant legal provisions dealing with detention of suspects in police custody. Both acts clearly frown at unnecessary and unreasonable detention of suspects. The said acts recommend detention of suspects at police station only as a last resort and in exceptional cases such as for felonies. This is the same approach of international legal treatises to which Sierra Leone is a signatory as evidenced in article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The power to detain is however subject to strict conditions including constitutional limits on the period of detention-3 days for misdemeanors and 10 days for capital offenses. At the expiration of this period the police MUST either charge the matter to court or release the suspect on bail.

In practice however, police officers often lock up suspects longer than the constitutional limit and by so doing, violate the rights and dignity of these suspects. The Police clearly violated the rights and dignity of Dr. Dennis Bright and Madam Femi Cladius Cole by refusing to release them within the 72 hours time limit.