The Criminal Investigation Department of the Sierra Leone Police in the Northeast Regional Headquarters of Makeni has come under scrutiny and criticism after the family of a woman allegedly assaulted in a village accused one of its officers and investigators of extortion and corruption.

Zainab Sesay, a suckling mother and her one-year-old baby, were allegedly assaulted by a Chiefdom or Native Police officer in Mara town, Mara Chiefdom, in the Northern District of Bombali. The incident reportedly occurred on the 28th of March 2025.

According to the suckling mother, the Section Chief of Mara Section, James Fullah, ordered one Umaro Jalloh, a Chiefdom police officer in Mara, to handcuff and drag her to a police cell for failing to pay a fine.

The family of Zainab Sesay ran to the northeast Regional Criminal Investigation Department at the Mena Police Station in Makeni City to get justice.

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However, Sesay’s family seems to lose trust in the institution that is mandated by law (SLP) to protect her life and the lives of other Sierra Leoneans because her hope of getting justice has been shattered by a female police officer assigned to investigate her matter.

As the victim of an alleged assault matter, the family said they are not only extorted by the police investigator but there’s also a likelihood of not getting justice.

Though this reporter can’t tell the full name of the female officer, he can recall the victim’s family calling her Josephine. Investigation says she was recently transferred from the Panlap Division in Makeni city.

The mother of the victim alleged that Josephine has been persistently asking for money from the family, so she will speedily investigate the matter.

“The last money she asked from us was one hundred Leones, and she promised us she would ensure the suspects were detained immediately they arrived at the police station,” the mother alleges.

The other day, she asked us to provide money for a pen and paper, the family further alleges.

The laws of Sierra Leone and the police code of practice condemned all forms of extortion. In other words, police officers are not allowed to ask for money from citizens while executing their duties to the State and is an offence punishable by law.

According to the family, it came as a surprise later to learn that some people in high places had compromised the police and the investigation in favour of the suspects.

After spending the rest of the day at Mena Police Station, the family said they were asked to return home and go back the other day, and surprisingly, the suspects were left to walk home freely.

“Why has our society lost conscience,” the mother of the victim asked while crying.

While at the police, the mother alleges that the Senior District Officer of Bombali went to the police station and blamed the police for bringing a Chiefdom police officer to the police for whatever crime without informing him. What the SDO means, according to the mother, is that nobody should report his Chiefdom police officers to the police without letting him know, no matter the seriousness of the offence.

The SDO is not immediately available to verify that allegation. However, other sources confirmed that he was at the Mena Police Station on that day but couldn’t tell the reason.

At the moment, it’s unclear whether Zainab Sesay and her baby will get justice.

When contacted over the phone, Josephine admitted that she collected money from the family, and for her, it was the family that willingly offered her the money.

In an angry tone, the female police officer responded over the phone with a question in the local Krio parlance, “Yes, are take money. Na bad tin if are take am?.

While the one-year-old baby and his mother are left in tears with no hope of getting justice, the suspects are allegedly going around bragging that nothing will happen in the case. Sources within the community said the suspects have the full backing of the Paramount Chief of Mara, PC Bai Bairoh N’seni III.

The police regional spokesman, Sgt. John Abass Kamara has not responded to the story.