On Thursday 18th April 2024, a tragic incident led to the sudden demise of a 38-year-old man Alhaji Kanji Kamara of 12 Mahmoud Lane Off Adonkia Road Goderich, Western Area Rural District after he was allegedly beaten by four people, Nelly Sesay, Fatmata During, Ramatu Sesay, and Olor During.
In an interview with Juliana Kadiatu Kaikai who introduced herself as the deceased tenant and elder sister narrated the incident that led to Alhaji’s death.
She started by explaining that it was around 11:00 pm when someone knocked at her door informing her that Alhaji is lying lifelessly on the street and she immediately rushed to the scene.
She said on her way to the scene, she met some people fetching water from a pipe and the boy informed her that those are the people who have beaten Alhaji and she went to they to asked what transpires between them.
She said one of the accused person Nelly Sesay responded to her stating that Alhaji the deceased met them fetching water and told them that the pipe they are fetching water from is connected in his compound which they denied and they broke into argument and the decided to go across the street to disconnect the pipe to prove that it belongs to him.
She continued that Nelly told her that they followed Alhaji across the street with their uncle Olor and Alhaji was hold on his collar by Olor and he pretended to have fainted but the boy who went to call her debunk Nelly’s statement saying they were the ones who beat Alhaji and an argument broke between Nelly and the boy Nelly continue saying Alhaji was pretending to have fainted and was feeling shy to get up but Juliana mediately left for the scene across the street.
She further stated that upon her arrival at the scene, she was told Alhaji has been taken to the Emergency Hospital by a sheikh and she quickly rushed to the hospital where she was told by the nurses that Alhaji was dead upon their arrival at the hospital.
She then rushed to the Adonkia Police Division where she made statement about the incident and the accused Ramatu and Nelly were invited to the police station while the deceased was transfer to the Connaught Hospital around 2:00 am.
The following Friday evening, Juliana went to the Connaught Hospital to arrange on the preservation of the deceased and postmortem as directed by the police and all necessary arrangements were made and the bills fully paid.
Juliana further explained that after necessary arrangements at the mortuary, the postmortem was scheduled for the following Wednesday 24th April 2024 but received a call from the mortuary on Monday 22nd April 2024 informed her the postmortem will the conducted on that day which she informed other family members and they left for the hospital.
Upon their arrival, Dr. Semion Owiz Kamara was was supposed to conduct the postmortem informed they that he had an emergency call that he will be attending to and he left where in another doctor called Alfred Koroma told them he will be the one the conduct the postmortem.
After the postmortem, Dr. Alfred told them that the deceased kidney was not in good working condition due to harmful substances he was taking which Juliana debunk saying Alhaji is not an alcoholic nor has he ever spoke but the doctor said it might be through mosquito coil he was using.
The family was not pleased with the postmortem result by Dr. Alfred and asked for a second opinion.
She alleged that the deceased was abandoned at the Connaught Hospital and went bad but on Monday 30th April 2024 transformer the deceased at the 34 Military Hospital Mortuary where a second postmortem was done by Dr. Kalawa and his colleague where the result stated that the deceased had a fracture spine.
She confirmed that the officers in charged of the matter were present for both postmortem, adding that the accused persons are in detention at the Lumley Police Division.
She conclude by disclosing that samples were taken from the deceased for lab tests to clarified the first result which will last for about two to three weeks for the family to proceed with the matter as they have already hired a lawyer.
An eyewitness who introduced himself as Alhaji Sao a caretaker of the Mosque said he met the deceased when he went to check on the water pipe leading to his house and told him to fill the water tank of the Mosque as that has always be their normal routine.
Eyewitness Alhaji continued that he went inside the Mosque to bring a machine he normally used to connect the pipe to the water tank when he heard an argument between the deceased and the accused persons and started using abusive languages on each other.
He said during the argument a man who he can recognized if seen but did not know his name came, hold the deceased on the collar saying he was abusing his wife infront of him, adding that during that process, Fatmata went behind the deceased and hit him on the back but could not tell whether she used something because it was dark at that point he separated them and the deceased went to mend his water pipe again.
He continued that just after he separated them and the deceased bend over mending his pipe fell to the ground and many people flew the scene while himself and other people took the deceased to the Emergency Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival and was taken to the Connaught Hospital Mortuary.
While debunking the first postmortem result which says the deceased was consuming harmful substances, Adama Ex-lover of the deceased said Alhaji was not an alcoholic person and never smoked in his entire as they were together for two years.
She said the deceased and the accused persons were not in good terms as they have been having confrontations wherein one of the them have threatened to kill him which she said has come to pass.
During the burial ceremony on Friday 3rd April 2024, an unfortunate incident occured where a lady was rescue by the police from angry youths of the community.
It was earlier announced by the family that nobody is allowed to take photos or video during the burial but a lady who a friend of the deceased identify as a friend of one of the accused went on and started taking video of the crowd where in some women rushed at her, took her phone away from her.
The police rushed to the scene to rescue the woman and was taken to the police station and came with teargas to dispatch the crowd but was not fired.
According to different people within the community who spoke to Sierraloaded, they confirmed that the deceased was never engaged in alcohol drinking nor smoking in his entire life.
Some also stated that there was political differences between them and they had lot of issues during the 2023 election.
Effort was made to talk to both doctors with regard their different findings but to no avail.
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