Popular Sierra Leonean musician Alhaji Amadu Bah, widely known as King Boss LA or LAJ, has been arrested and transported to Bo under police escort following a controversial bench warrant.

According to his legal counsel, Madieu Sesay, the rapper was apprehended on Monday at the Freetown International Airport while reportedly en route to The Gambia. Following his arrest, Bah was initially detained at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Freetown before being transferred to Bo to face the magistrate court.

The airport arrest enforces a bench warrant issued on March 27 by Bo Magistrate Court No. 1. The court ordered the arrest of Bah and a co-accused, Ibrahim Koroma, after both men failed to appear for a scheduled hearing.

The underlying legal case stems from allegations that the rapper made “abusive and insulting remarks” directed at the Mayor of Kenema, Thomas Baio, during a recent stage performance in Bo.

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The enforcement of the warrant comes amidst fierce pushback from Bah’s legal team, who claim the proceedings are fundamentally flawed.

Shortly after the warrant was issued, lawyers from Madieu Sesay & Associates filed a formal complaint arguing the artist was never lawfully served with a criminal summons. According to the defense, an affidavit filed in court alleged that the summons was served via the messaging app WhatsApp. Bah’s lawyers argue that electronic delivery is not a recognized mode of service under Sierra Leone’s Criminal Procedure Act 2024, rendering the summons “irregular, invalid, and of no legal effect.”

Furthermore, the legal team raised jurisdictional issues, noting that because Bah resides in Freetown, the Bo Magistrate Court is legally required to serve the summons through a local magistrate in the defendant’s residential area.

Bah had previously maintained that he received no formal or official communication from the court prior to his detention. Authorities in Bo are expected to bring the artist before a magistrate in the coming days.