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Opposition politician and Investigative journalist, Dr. Sylvia Blyden has shared new details from her investigation into Omar Sheriff, the businessman recently linked to an extradition request by the Dutch government.
The Dutch government on Thursday formally requested the extradition of convicted drug criminal Jos Leijdekkers following reports that has been living in Sierra Leone for approximately six months.
Leijdekkers was sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison last June in Rotterdam for smuggling over seven tonnes of cocaine.
On Tuesday, Sierra Leone’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), William Fayia Sellu said that the individual believed to be Jos Leijdekkers has been identified as Umar Sheriff.
Blyden’s investigation now raises questions about whether Sheriff and Leijdekker are the same person.
In her report, Blyden highlighted several key points: Sheriff, described as a Norwegian-Turkish investor, has been present in Sierra Leone since late 2022 and has business interests across West Africa, leading to speculation he may have fled the country.
Blyden’s investigation also uncovered a violent altercation involving Sheriff at the Scarlett Nightclub at Lagoonda on December 31, 2022, where Lebanese businessman Hussein Fawaz was shot.
While initial reports of the shooting were suppressed, Sheriff was later cleared by police, who declared him a victim. He then gave paid interviews to multiple media outlets, including ManoReporters, touting his investment plans for Sierra Leone.
Blyden raises the possibility that Sheriff could be Leijdekker, suggesting that after his alleged crimes in Europe, he may have fled to Africa rather than South America, as previously suspected. She also notes the presence of then-Chief Whip of Parliament, Hon. Alusine Kanneh (current Chief Immigration Officer), at the nightclub incident, who later claimed he was trying to break up the fight.
Blyden’s investigation further points to a paid article in ManoReporters that portrayed Sheriff as a victim in the shooting and emphasized his role as an investor, stating that police had no case against him.
Blyden’s investigation leaves the central question—whether Omar Sheriff is the wanted Jos Leijdekker—unanswered, calling for further scrutiny of the situation.
According to my journalism sources, Omar Sheriff, may have left Sierra Leone several days ago.
Whether Omar, the associate of the President’s daughter Agnes Bio, is indeed Jos Leijdekker, I cannot tell. I don’t know.
News is that Omar Sheriff has businesses all over West Africa and it is believed he has gone to hibernate in one of those West African countries where he has investments.
There is evidence that Omar Sheriff has been in Sierra Leone since late 2022 as a Norwegian Turkish investor.
It is recalled that on December 31st 2022, the said Omar Sheriff got into a violent nightclub fight where local Lebanese businessman Hussein Fawaz was shot, allegedly by either Omar Sheriff himself or a foreign bodyguard.
The shooting initially made headlines but was swiftly muzzled. Omar Sheriff was then openly cleared by the Sierra Leone Police who said their investigations into the shooting showed Omar Sheriff was the victim.
At that point, Omar Sheriff gave a sponsored PAID interview to several media houses (not Awareness Times!) in which Omar Sheriff was quoted as saying he has lots of money to come and invest in Sierra Leone and he already has investments all over West Africa.
In that sponsored PAID interview, Omar Sheriff promised to use his money to empower Youths of Sierra Leone and to create employment.
That shows clearly that Omar Sheriff has been in Sierra Leone for the past 3 years now since some time in 2022.
If Omar Sheriff is really Jos Leijdekker then it means when Jos disappeared from Europe after the bust-up, he did not go to South America as initially suspected but he came down to Africa.
If it was the days when I had the spare time to conduct Investigative Journalism work, I would have delved in more. But for now, I have no time unfortunately because of my academic workload.
The video accompanying this update is of the nightclub fight before the actual shooting later outside the nightclub. The nightclub is Scarlett and located on premises of Lagoonda.
Video shows Omar Sheriff on December 31st 2022 fighting at SCARLETT Nightclub, Lagoonda. The then Chief Whip in Parliament, Hon. Alusine Kanneh (current Chief Immigration Officer), is seen there in the melee wearing a green 👕 shirt. Omar Sheriff is with a 🟡 yellow shirt.
Hon. Alusine Kanneh was to later explain to the media that he was not part of Omar Sheriff’s entourage but he merely went to help break up the fight between Omar Sheriff and Hussein Fawaz the Lebanese businessman.
So is Omar Sheriff the wanted Jos Leijdekker? The Dutch Government seems to think so🤔
Oooo Salone!!!
Small country, plenty drama.
Allah please help clean this country for we.
Ameen ya Allah
😄😄😄😄
Thank you so Much my honourably sister, Dr Sylvia blyden, but am seen so amount of guiltness on this Omar sheriff allegedly to be Los Liejdekker by some few citizensn in Sierra Leone, the executed cocaine baron lord by Holland court. If Mr umar Sheriff knowns that he’s not the one of the cocaine lord ( Los Liejdekker) that
wanted by Netherland government why he could not report himself in police for investigated? Rather to flee.
He is the same man using different names across the globe
Very good question,man.
Una dae pan nonsense. Omar/Umar Sherriff has a SL passport. It hasn’t occurred to the idiots “investigating” the case to go look at the picture on file? Worwoh baboo Sylvia Blyden with her photoshopped picture that she should be ashamed to put up but is not, wants to investigate and report on the case, but is failing to mention that Jos is connected to the Bio family. Lae den lef we ya. Investigate and report on how he was at the church with the Bio family, come out and say he is involved with Maada Bio’s daughter, either his son in law or Jos is engaged to his daughter. Investigate and report on how he ended up in our country. He is in the country, that is a known fact, so the idiot police should not come out and just say things like there are no records of him entering the country. Since we know he is/was in the country, go find out what name he used and if he came in legally. Go ask his wife/girlfriend how he entered the country, did they tell immigration to look the other way when the private plane landed, and go arrest whoever facilitated his entry into the country since he probably entered illegally. This case can not get swept under the rug. Our country’s reputation is being tarnished.