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Thirty-five-year-old Idrissa Kabbia, a farmer, has been remanded at the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown by Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Court No. 1, on two counts of unlawful entry and illegal deforestation, contrary to the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1972 as amended.
Court documents state that on Saturday, 2nd May 2026, at Motomeh, Regent in the Western Area of Freetown, the accused allegedly entered the Western Area Peninsula National Park without obtaining the required permit or licence from the appropriate authority.
The second count further alleges that on the same date and location, Idrissa Kabbia unlawfully uprooted trees within the protected area without legal authorisation.
Chief Superintendent of Police Tommy B. Zizer Esq is prosecuting the matter, while Ibrahim Tanko, a civil servant attached to the National Protected Area Authority (NPAA), testified as Prosecution Witness One.
Tanko told the court that he received a call from his director, Alhaji T. Tunis, alerting him to suspicious activity within the protected forest reserve. He said upon arriving at the scene, he allegedly saw the defendant cutting sticks inside the protected area, upon which the defendant fled.
He further testified that the following day, he encountered the defendant again coming out of the protected area with sticks, leading to his arrest. The defendant was subsequently handed over to officers at the Lumley Police Station, where a statement was recorded.
The witness was cross-examined by the defendant.
Magistrate Jah, citing the seriousness of the allegations, ordered that the accused be remanded in custody. The matter was adjourned to 16th June 2026 for continuation of hearing.
