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The National Secretary General of the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Lansana Dumbuya, is expected to spend the night in custody at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Freetown after police declined to grant him bail.
Mr Dumbuya was invited to the CID following remarks he made during a large APC meeting held at the Attuga Mini Stadium in Freetown on Monday. According to police sources, the invitation is connected to statements and chants made at the gathering, which have since generated public controversy.
The APC Secretary General, alongside other senior party officials, reported to the CID on Tuesday, February 4, 2026, to respond to questions relating to the incident. However, following hours of engagement with investigators, police denied his release, resulting in his continued detention at the CID headquarters.
The incident under investigation occurred during a mammoth APC meeting at the Attuga Mini Stadium, where Mr Dumbuya led party supporters in chanting “Maada Bio Thief Man,” a phrase directed at President Julius Maada Bio.
While the APC leadership has maintained that the remarks fall within the bounds of political expression, the Sierra Leone Police have not yet issued an official statement outlining any specific charges or the legal basis for the continued detention.
As of press time, it remains unclear when Mr Dumbuya will be released or whether formal charges will be preferred. Developments surrounding the matter are being closely watched by political stakeholders and the general public amid ongoing debates over political speech, public order, and democratic engagement in Sierra Leone.
