The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Brima Kamara has revealed the reasons why they decided to dismiss four of the two police officers involved in the death of an 18 months old baby at a Police Cell in Pamalap, Northern part of the country.

According to Brima Kamara, who also happens to be the Head of Media of SLP, stated that they carried a disciplinary hearings to ascertain what really led to the death of 18 months old, Hannah Kanu at the Pamlap Division Cell where the deceased was detained together with her mother, Kadiatu Koroma.

He explained that their investigation found out that the a woman was arrested and locked in a police cell along with her 18 months baby, and the baby later died inside the cell.
“So, we took administrative action under the Complaint Disciplinary and Internal Investigation Department (CDIID) to investigate the matter, and at the end of the day we sent the matter to court,” Kamara said.

The Assistant Inspector General of police noted that after the investigation, the presiding officer decided that the two police officers should be dismissed, but as an alternative, in the sense that they should compensate the decreased mother or they will be dismissed.

Inspector Amara Lovel Stevens was assigned by the CDIID to investigate the four officers – Sgt. Baimba Sannoh, Baidu Foday, Samuel Kargbo, and Samatu Thoronka, all of the Pamlap Division in Makeni City.

Stevens concluded the investigation on Friday 25 March 2022, and the tribunal found all four officers guilty of negligence, but not guilty of murder.

Stevens ruled that the report of the medical experts says the baby wasn’t murdered, but noted that the Police Officers neglected their duties which led to the death of the baby.

The two officers recommended to be dismissed are: Sgt. Baimba Sannoh, who arrested the deceased along with her mother and ordered their detention; and Baidu Foday, the female locked up officer who detained the 17 months baby and her mother.

The tribunal further ordered that Sannoh’s one year salary and Foday’s six months salary being given to the family of the deceased as compensation.

The tribunal also ruled that Samuel Kargbo, Shift Commander at the time of the incident, and the Pamlap Division Station Sergent Samatu Thoronka go for two weeks correctional training. The two were charges for failing to advise Sannoh and Foday not to detain the woman and her child.

The four police officers of the Pamlap Divisiob were charged with six counts ranging from lack of incivility, murder, neglect of duty, the conduct of prejudice, conduct to the prejudice of good order, and conduct to the prejudice of discipline.

It is however unclear how and when the compensation will be made available to the deceased family, as Inspector Stevens said the tribunal only has the mandate to investigate and make recommendations.

“It is left with the Inspector General of Police to decide if these recommendations will hold,” Stevens said.
The mother of the deceased expressed satisfaction with the ruling and called on the leadership of the Sierra Leone Police to act speedily on the recommendations of the tribunal.