Three students, including a 16-year-old boy accused of killing his adopted mother, have been remanded at the Pademba Road Male Correctional Centre in connection with the brutal February murder of a prominent hospital matron and university lecturer.

Appearing before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at Pademba Road Court No. 1, 16-year-olds Goodluck Richard Nicol and Gerrald Tommy Tucker, along with 19-year-old Bokarie Musa, faced a three-count charge including conspiracy to commit murder, murder, and receiving stolen property.

The charges stem from the February 8, 2026, killing of Valentina Bisodun Catherine Kamanda (née Nicol) at her residence in Adonkia, Goderich. Mrs. Kamanda was a highly respected Matron at Connaught Hospital and a lecturer at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS).

According to the particulars of the offense, Nicol and Tucker allegedly conspired with unknown individuals to murder Mrs. Kamanda. Preliminary police investigations previously revealed that Nicol, the victim’s adopted son who lived at the residence, allegedly confessed to striking her on the head with a pestle late that night. Early reports from the incident also indicated that another child in the home was severely injured during the attack and required hospitalization.

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While the Sierra Leone Police initially stated in February that the incident was not linked to a robbery, court proceedings have revealed otherwise. The third defendant, 19-year-old Bokarie Musa, is charged with receiving stolen property belonging to the deceased. The items allegedly recovered include a grey Lenovo laptop, an Apple iPad, an off-white iPhone, and three Samsung mobile phones.

During the hearing, the prosecutor, C.S.P. Tommy B. Zizer Esq., served the unrepresented defendants with the bundle of statements. The charges were read and explained, but no pleas were taken.

Magistrate Jah firmly refused bail, citing the severe nature of the offenses, and remanded all three teenagers into custody.

The violent death of Mrs. Kamanda has sparked widespread outrage and deep mourning across Freetown’s medical, academic, and religious communities. Remembered as a compassionate professional and a devout member of the Zion Praise Tabernacle Church, her death has prompted civil society groups and nursing associations to demand swift justice and heightened residential security measures.

The matter has been adjourned to March 17, 2026, for further hearings.