The family of five-year-old Mustapha Kanu is demanding greater transparency over public donations raised after the boy lost both hands in a brutal attack.

Speaking to Politico on Thursday, August 13, 2026, Mustapha’s father, Alimamy Kanu, alleged that donations intended to support his son’s care have not been properly accounted for by Lawrence Tauwah, CEO of Wi Salone Voice.

Tauwah initially brought public attention to Mustapha’s case, prompting appeals for financial assistance as the child faces long-term medical and rehabilitation needs.

Kanu alleged that money raised through public appeals was handed to the family on only two occasions. He also claimed that Tauwah did not consistently disclose the amounts received and used his personal bank account to collect some of the donations.

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The dispute intensified after Kanu learned that proposed overseas medical trips could involve Tauwah and his wife accompanying Mustapha while excluding the boy’s immediate family, according to his account.

Mustapha requires continued specialized medical treatment, rehabilitation, psychological support and prosthetic fittings, making access to sustained financial assistance critical, the family says.

Kanu said he feels particularly vulnerable because of his limited formal education.

“He is using me because you see that I didn’t go to school’, he said.

Kanu also said he reported Tauwah to the police but was referred to the court.

Attempts to reach Tauwah for comment were unsuccessful. Phone calls and a text message sent to him went unanswered.

The allegations come months after a Freetown court sentenced Mustapha’s grandfather, Abubakar Jalloh, to 75 years in prison following his conviction over the attack.

Kanu said the incident began on February 12, 2026, after Mustapha and his teenage relative, Mohamed, were sent to a telecentre. He said Jalloh became angry after Mustapha returned home later than expected.

According to Kanu, Jalloh tied the boy’s hands separately to a wooden stick using pieces of rubber from an inner tire tube, leaving him restrained across his chest.

He alleged that Jalloh then poured a mixture of hot water and pepper over Mustapha’s hands, withheld food and water, locked him inside a room and left the house.

Kanu said Mohamed later returned from school and found Mustapha still restrained and crying in pain. The teenager did not intervene because he was afraid, according to his account.

Mustapha remained tied up until the evening, when Jalloh’s wife returned from the market and released him, Kanu said.

The family did not immediately seek medical attention, he said. Over the following days, Mustapha’s injuries deteriorated severely, with tissue beginning to decompose.

On the third day, Kanu said, Jalloh contacted a neighbor and claimed the boy had suffered accidental burns. The neighbor took Mustapha to a local clinic in Sussex Village, which referred him to the Emergency Hospital because of the severity of his injuries.

At the hospital, a nurse suspected serious physical abuse and alerted officers at Adonkia Police Station, leading to Jalloh’s arrest, according to Kanu.

Medical professionals later determined that the damage to Mustapha’s hands was irreversible and that both hands had to be amputated to save his life, Kanu said. A second medical opinion obtained at Connaught Hospital also confirmed that amputation was unavoidable.

With the criminal case now concluded, Kanu said his priority is securing transparent and sustainable support for his son while ensuring that any assistance raised in Mustapha’s name is used in his best interests.