The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sierra Leone Police has declared one 24 year old Bai Kamara wanted after he was allegedly caught in a compromising situation with another man at his father’s house.
The incident was said to have happened on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, in Kambia town, when neighbours exposed his same-sex relationship, igniting a whirlwind of violence, rejection, and persecution.
Sources disclosed to this medium that Mohamed, a close friend of Bai’s father, returned early from prayers to find Bai with his male partner. Shocked by the discovery, Mohamed immediately alerted family members and neighbors, sparking a scene of chaos.
It was also revealed that while Bai’s partner managed to escape, Bai was not as fortunate. He was brutally beaten by the angry mob that had gathered, including his own family members. The group, torn between delivering Bai to the police and taking matters into their own hands, debated his fate in a climate of rage and confusion. At the time of this heated debate, Bai surreptitiously escaped from the crowd and entered a nearby bush. He was chased by the angry youths and family members but could not be captured. His whereabouts remain unknown.
With this, the Sierra Leone Police, after receiving a report from Bai’s family, had declared him wanted. A reward has been promised for anyone with information on his whereabouts. It is believed that Bai might have departed Sierra Leone to elsewhere.
Sources revealed to this medium that the Kamara family is entrenched in traditional and religious values; they viewed Bai’s sexuality as a betrayal of both family and faith. His father, a fervent Muslim, Abdul Kamara, has reportedly vowed to kill his son if found, he sees Bai’s actions as a source of shame, sin, and generational curse.
According to close family sources, Abdul believed that Bai had brought a dark cloud of stigma over their household, leaving them reeling in disgrace within the community.
A close childhood friend to Bai who chooses anonymity told this medium that Bai had struggled with his sexuality since the age of 15, keeping it a secret due to the fear of social abandonment and violence.
“He met Junior, his partner, when they were playing football together, and the two had been in a covert relationship for years,” he said.
Sierra Leone, a country where both religious doctrine and cultural traditions tightly bind expressions of identity, living openly with LGBTQ+ is practically impossible. Sierra Leone, like many African nations, presents a particularly unsafe environment for LGBTQ+ individuals. Same-sex relationships are criminalized under Section 61 of the Public Order Act, and those identified as LGBTQ+ often face not only legal repercussions but also severe social consequences.
The deep-seated prejudices, reinforced by religious leaders and community traditions, compound the dangers of living as a gay person in the country. While the law imposes penalties for homosexuality, it is the relentless societal discrimination that leaves the deepest scars. Public humiliation, violence, and even threats of death are not uncommon for individuals who are exposed as LGBTQ+.
It was also revealed that, Bai’s family, now divided over the incident, remains caught in the turmoil of shame and societal backlash. Bai’s father has reportedly cut all ties with Bai’s Mother, blaming the mother to have known about his sexuality.
As Bai’s fate hangs in the balance, the Sierra Leone Police through the Criminal Investigations Department are working closely with the family to ensure that they bring back Bai from wherever he may have hidden. The public is also encouraged to support the police with every possible way of getting hold of Bai.
