The Independent Police Complaints Board (IPCB) has said that it has commenced investigation into the alleged death of a 17-Month Old Baby in Police Custody at Panlap Police Division in Makeni City.

Sierraloaded had previously reported how the arrest of the breastfeeding Mother, Kadiatu Koroma has allegedly led to the untimely death of her 17-months old baby girl in Makeni, Northern Sierra Leone.

According to reports from TV-News24, the girl child, Hannah Kanu, died at the Panlap police division in Makeni city, around 9 p.m. local time.

The incident which unfortunately claimed the life of their baby is now under investigation of MENA police station.

It was gathered that Kadiatu Koroma and her daughter was arrested and detained by officers of the Sierra Leone police on allegations of stealing a handbag which reportedly had several items in it worth about Le750,000.

A source told TV-News24 that the mother of the child was crying for help while in the police cell because her child was seriously sick. But police ignored her cries and pleas for help.

“It wasn’t until after Sergeant Gibril, a traffic officer, said he heard a female voice in the cell crying out that her child had died, before police eventually went in the cell to check on the woman,” the source said. And when they entered the cell, they found the child dead, according to the source.

In a statement on on Monday, the IPCB said;

“IPCB Preliminary Investigation into an Alleged Death of a 17-Month Old Baby in Police Custody at Panlap Police Division in Makeni City

“It is announced for the information of the public that the Independent Police Complaints Board (IPCB) has commenced a preliminary investigation into reports of an alleged death of a 17-month old baby, while locked up with her mother in police cell at the Panlap Police Division in Makeni City on Thursday 23rd December, 2021.

“This is in pursuance of section 3 (1) (a) of The Independent Police Complaints Board Regulations, 2013, which provides for an investigation into “the death of any person while in the custody of the police”; and section 9 which mandates the IPCB to “conduct an investigation on its own initiative”.

“The public will be kept fully informed of developments as and when they do occur.”