A Sierra Leonean, Ibrahim Khalil Sesay, a well-known youth leader and vocal mouthpiece of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Youth Wing is currently on the run after being declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police following a destructive riot which occurred on Sunday 26th January, 2020.
Initial reports indicated that the commotion, which began as a youth-led protest, quickly degenerated into a violent confrontation between the youths and police officers. Law enforcement officers used force in an attempt to disperse the crowds, resulting in several injuries and malicious damage to vehicles and buildings along Ecowas and Wallace Johnson Streets in central Freetown.
In the aftermath of the violent protest by angry youths, Ibrahim Khalil Sesay was accused of aiding the rioters. Witnesses alleged that Mr. Sesay was seen helping some youths escape arrest by showing them routes to flee from police officers.
Two days after the riot, Mr. Sesay was arrested by the Sierra Leone Police for questioning but was quickly released after an initial investigation because, according to police sources, there were no photos, videos, or reliable eyewitness testimonies pointing to his involvement.
In an interview with this medium, Mr. Sesay denied being anywhere near the scene at the time of the riot, claiming “I had gone to the beach for exercise.” This claim was corroborated by several friends who accompanied him that day.
Unfortunately, Mr. Sesay was invited again by the police for further questioning but refused to comply, citing threats allegedly made against him by a police officer. In a leaked audio recording, an unnamed figure from the police reportedly warned him that he would be imprisoned regardless of the evidence because the matter had “turned political” and that Sesay’s drawer made him a target.
Since then, Sesay’s whereabouts remain unknown. This medium gathered that Sesay’s wife and family members have been living in constant fear as police officers frequently visited their premises at 16B Wright Street, Portee in the east of Freetown asking about the whereabouts of her husband.
The case has become a flashpoint in the country’s ongoing debate over political freedom, law enforcement practices, and the rights of opposition figures.
Civil society organizations and human rights activists have condemned the government’s action, calling the treatment of Mr. Sesay, his wife and family “a clear pattern of political persecution.”
As the country reels from this destructive crisis, Sesay’s case stands out, not just as a story of escape, but a reminder of the risk he faced from public figures for speaking out. He is afraid of returning back to his motherland for fear of being arrested and jailed for a crime he did not commit.
