Ibrahim Samura, a 23-year-old bike rider, appeared before Magistrate Sahr Kekura at Pademba Road Court No. 1 on Monday, charged with the murder of Alfred Jusu.

The charges, presented under Section 1 of the Offense Against the Person Act 1861, which has since been repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Schedule and Abolition of the Death Penalty Act No. 6 of 2022, stem from an incident that allegedly occurred on May 25, 2024, in Gloucester Village.

During the court proceedings, Samura did not enter a plea. Prosecution witness Timothy Saio, a carpenter and cousin of the deceased, testified about the sequence of events following the alleged murder.

Saio recounted how he was informed of the incident by another bike rider and arrived at the crime scene to find that the body had already been moved to the mortuary. Saio experienced initial difficulty accessing the deceased’s remains, which were reportedly withheld under the claim of theft.

However, with the assistance of a bike rider, a regent councilor, and the Gloucester headman, Saio eventually recovered the body from Akon Police Station for identification purposes.

The prosecution requested a brief adjournment to confer with their witnesses. Magistrate Kekura denied bail for Samura, remanding him to the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown. The case has been adjourned to continue on September 6, 2024.