Freetown, Sierra Leone — Ibrahim Samura, a bike rider, was remanded to the male correctional facility on Thursday, September 19, 2024, after he had been formally arraigned before Magistrate Sahr Kekura of Pademba Road Court No.1 and charged him with the alleged murder of fellow cyclist Alfred Jusu.
Samura faces a charge of murder under the Offense Against the Person Act of 1861, which has since been repealed and replaced by the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021, Act No. 6 of 2022. According to the charge sheet, the incident occurred on Saturday, May 25, 2024, in Gloucester village.
Testifying in court, Fredrick Hanciles, a farmer and community headman, recounted the events of that fateful day. He explained that in the morning hours, he heard a woman shouting that she had seen someone lying at the first bridge and believed the individual to be dead. Upon reaching the scene, Hanciles found Jusu’s lifeless body on the ground.
“I asked people in the area about what had happened, but no one could provide any information,” Hanciles said. He then reported the incident to Akon police station, leading officers back to the scene for further investigation. Jusu’s body was subsequently transported to Connaught Mortuary for examination.
Hanciles noted that he later learned an arrest had been made in connection to the murder. During the court proceedings, Samura, who did not have legal representation, cross-examined Hanciles himself.
The court has adjourned the matter until September 24, 2024, for further proceedings, as Samura remains in custody at the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown.