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A young man, known by face but unnamed by the people of central Freetown, was found dead on Wednesday morning near Connaught Hospital. The body was discovered around 11 a.m. along Lightfoot Boston Street, close to Percival Street Junction.
According to local traders, the deceased was a disabled man who had lived on the streets and frequently begged near the hospital fence. He was described as quiet and harmless, a familiar figure in the area for years.
“He was always there, sitting quietly,” said a nearby shop owner. “We never saw him trouble anyone. Now he’s gone, and still, no one knows who he was.”
The discovery comes just a day after Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr announced that the Freetown City Council (FCC) had cleared 220 unclaimed bodies from public areas as of October 7. The latest incident now brings the number of unclaimed bodies to 221, intensifying public concern over what has become a growing health and humanitarian crisis in the capital.
Residents who attempted to report the death said they were met with silence and confusion. Calls to emergency numbers 117 and 112 reportedly went unanswered. The Central Police Station stated that it lacked authority to remove the body, while Connaught Hospital administrators cited ongoing mortuary renovations and referred the matter to the City Council.
When contacted, Mohamed Bangura, head of the FCC’s desolate unit, confirmed that the council was responsible for handling the case. However, he admitted that their only emergency vehicle was unavailable and could not say when it would be operational again.
By evening, the man’s body remained by the roadside, covered only by a thin cloth placed by concerned residents.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said one witness. “No one deserves to be left like that.”
The incident has reignited frustration over the coordination of public health and emergency response systems in Freetown. With scarce resources, poor communication, and overlapping responsibilities, the city’s handling of unclaimed bodies continues to test both the system and the conscience of its people.
