The mother of an underage girl who was allegedly sexually abused in Makeni has accused the coordinator of the Free Quality Education in the Northeast region of threatening her daughter, interfering into the matter and preventing the alleged perpetrator from being brought to book.

Because of the intervention of Abu Bakarr Jalloh, the coordinator, Elineor Bangura said the man that sexually abused her daughter is left to roam freely even though she has reported the matter to the Mena Police Station in Makeni.

Instead of being brought to book for his alleged crime, Bangura said the alleged perpetrator is walking freely, which questions the seriousness of the law enforcement agencies in handling such serious matters.

At one time, she alleges that the coordinator threatened to make sure her daughter did not take the WASSCE. The victim is a pupil and will take the next West African Senior School Examination in Makeni.

“Coordinator is threatening my daughter that she will make sure she did not take the WASSCE because she exposed his driver,” the mother said.

According to Elineor Bangura, her daughter was sexually abused by one Samuel Gbla, the official driver of the regional coordinator of Free Quality Education in the Northeast region.

Having learned about this, she reported the matter at the Family Support Unit of the Mena Police Station on 20th December 2024 at around 14:05 hours.

The girl, the aggrieved mother said, was seventeen when the driver was sexually penetrating her.

She said it’s more than a month now since she reported the matter to the police and nothing is being done to ensure the alleged perpetrator faces justice.

Instead, the mother said the coordinator, who is also an SLPP politician, has been threatening her and her daughter.

The regional coordinator is interfering in the matter, thereby preventing his driver from facing justice, according to the mother.

The mother said Jalloh is bragging that nothing will happen as far as he’s concerned because he’s politically connected.

The delay in bringing the driver to book after a month since the matter was reported was a result of what the mother says is Jalloh’s interference into the matter.

“This is not only frustrating and shameful but also exposes a system that is negatively affecting the less privileged in society,” the woman cried.

ASP Abu Bakarr Kanu, the regional coordinator of the Family Support Unit in the region, confirmed the matter is under investigation. Kanu said an arrest was done immediately the matter was reported.

When asked further about the status of the matter and why is the delayed, ASP Kanu said he’s not officially obliged to speak on behalf of the Sierra Leone Police and directed this reporter to the regional spokesman of the Sierra Leone Police.

Police spokesman was contacted but has not responded.

Sources close to the Office of the regional commander of the Northeast suggest that an order was passed by the Police chief to halt the investigation. But it has not been verified.

When contacted, the regional coordinator denied the allegations referring to them untrue and baseless. According to Jalloh, he has put aside his driver since the incident allegedly happened to allow the investigation.

But the mother and other independent sources have rubbished Jalloh’s claims describing them as blatant lies.

According to the mother, she had a plethora of evidence that her daughter was sexually abused by Jalloh’s driver. Bangura said the coordinator, who is supposed to advocate for her daughter to get the justice she deserves, is the one threatening the family, an action that goes contrary to the president Bio’s free quality education mantra.

Elineor Bangura says she’s calling authorities, especially human rights groups, to look into the matter to ensure there’s justice.

According to a police source, WhatsApp audio tendered by the family implicated the driver to the alleged offence (s).

We will bring you more updates on this story.