Freetown – Four individuals, including Osman Kamara, Sorie Sesay, Alhaji Kanu, and Hawa Jalloh, have been declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police following their escape from the Freetown Male Correctional Center during the failed coup attempt on November 26, 2023. All four, who were remanded at the time, reportedly fled the facility when it was forcibly opened by coup plotters and have not returned since.
Osman Kamara, formerly a staunch supporter of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), fell out with the government after publicly criticizing its alleged human rights violations and abuses of power. Sources close to the matter say Kamara was expelled from the party and labeled an anti-government dissident, leading to his arrest on charges of incitement—a move strongly condemned by human rights organizations as politically motivated.
Kamara’s escape came under grave circumstances. Reports confirm that on the day of the prison break, several of his close friends were captured and killed by security forces. Fearing for his life, Kamara fled the country shortly afterward. His exact destination remains unknown.
Authorities have since placed a bounty of Le 10,000 (new Leones) on any information that could lead to the arrest of Kamara, Sesay, Kanu, or Jalloh. Meanwhile, Kamara’s family in Sierra Leone has reportedly faced ongoing harassment, with police officers frequently visiting their residence in search of him.
Kamara, who lived on Kissy Road in Freetown and worked as a Loss Prevention Officer at NP SL, was the sole breadwinner for his family. Prior to fleeing, he reportedly relocated his close relatives to a safer location within the capital due to fears of retaliatory arrest or violence.
Rights organizations have continued to denounce the government’s silence in the face of these allegations and the increasingly authoritarian posture of the security forces. Many warn that Kamara’s case reflects a broader trend of shrinking civic space in Sierra Leone.
Despite growing calls for justice, the government and police have yet to respond and have allegedly vowed to deal harshly with the escapees if captured.
