A 15-year-old school boy was allegedly kidnapped near the Waterloo Police Station in the early hours of Wednesday, February 4, 2026, with his captors demanding Le30 million in ransom before releasing him the following day.

The incident was disclosed by the boy’s father, Ibrahim A. Sesay, who said his son, Aliya Khalim Ibrahim Sesay, a pupil of Providence Secondary School in Freetown, was abducted while on his way to school.

According to Sesay, the teenager left home early that morning because he did not want to arrive late for school. He usually travels with his mother but decided to go ahead of her that day. The boy reportedly went to the area near the Waterloo Police Station, a common boarding point for vehicles heading to Freetown.

Sesay stated that a taxi with two men posing as passengers stopped and his son entered the vehicle. “The last thing he remembered was a handkerchief being placed over his nose, and he struggled briefly before losing consciousness,” Sesay said.

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At about 5:00 p.m. the same day, the boy’s mother allegedly received a phone call from an unknown number. The caller claimed they had kidnapped her son and demanded one hundred million old Leones, threatening to kill him if the money was not paid.

To prove their claim, Sesay said the kidnappers allegedly put the boy on loudspeaker, flogged him and forced him to speak. “His voice trembled as he cried out for help,” Sesay recounted. The caller reportedly warned the family not to inform the police and instructed them to send the money to a specified Orange Money number.

Despite the warning, Sesay said he reported the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters and filed a complaint with the Cyber Unit. According to him, the police attempted to track the number used by the alleged kidnappers but were unable to immediately determine its location.

A second call was later made from another number, Sesay said, during which the boy was again allegedly flogged and intimidated. The family negotiated with the kidnappers, who eventually agreed to accept Le30 million. The amount was sent via Orange Money, according to Sesay. The boy remained in captivity overnight.

Sesay said his son was released on Thursday and later found in a dazed condition near the Waterloo Police Junction. He was taken for medical attention and is said to be responding to treatment.

Recounting part of his ordeal, the boy reportedly told his family that he regained consciousness while tied to a chair and blindfolded. He alleged that his captors placed an object he believed to be a knife on his neck and threatened to cut his throat if he refused to provide his mother’s phone number. He said he was flogged and forced to speak to his mother during the calls.

The boy further claimed that after another substance was placed over his nose, he drifted in and out of consciousness. He said he was later transported in a vehicle and eventually placed on a motorbike. While passing what he believed to be the Grafton checkpoint, he allegedly heard police questioning his captor, who claimed the boy was his son being taken to hospital.

According to Sesay, the motorbike rider was later instructed to drop the boy near the Waterloo Police Junction, where he was eventually found.

The Sierra Leone Police have not yet issued an official public statement on the incident. However, Sesay confirmed that the matter was reported to the CID Cyber Unit and that investigations are ongoing.