Police Officer Sent to Prison Over Alleged Murder

In a recent court proceeding at Pademba Road Court No. 2, Abu Bakarr Yillah, a 47-year-old police officer attached to the Operations Division Wing at Kambia Police Station, was remanded to prison by Magistrate Santigie Bangura. Yillah is facing charges related to the alleged murder of Fasineh Bangura, which took place on July 13th, 2022, at Yana Village in the Tambakha Yombagie Chiefdom, Karene Judicial District, Northwest Region.

The accused made his initial appearance in court on Thursday, August 26th, 2024, where he was arraigned on one count of murder. This charge falls under Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021, Act No. 6 of 2022. The court did not take a plea from Yillah when the charge was read and explained to him.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sorie Conteh, presented its first witness, Mohamed Lamin Kamara, a public servant working at NASSIT and a cousin of the deceased. Kamara recounted the events of July 13th, 2022, stating that the incident occurred during a Paramount Chieftaincy election in their area. Following the election, a combined team of military and police personnel, including the accused, reportedly entered Yana Town in Tambakha Chiefdom, arresting and beating people, and even firing live ammunition.

According to Kamara, Fasineh Bangura, along with another individual, Foday Kamara, fled into his room. However, police officers broke down the door and took Bangura out, loading him into a vehicle. It was while they were in the vehicle that the accused, Yillah, allegedly shot Bangura in the back of the head.

Kamara, who was in Freetown at the time, was informed of the incident and promptly reported it to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters on Pademba Road, Freetown. A team of investigators visited Yana Town, gathered statements from witnesses, and conducted a postmortem examination of the deceased. The postmortem report, produced and tendered in court as Exhibit Z, was handed over to Kamara.

During cross-examination by defense counsel C. Kamara Esq., the details provided by the witness were scrutinized.

However, Magistrate Kekura refused to grant bail to the accused, ordering that he be remanded at the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown. The case has been adjourned to September 2nd, 2024.