By Fatima Kpaka
In a series of emotional and graphic testimonies on Friday, October 25, 2024, two key nurses from Emergency Hospital testified about the critical moments surrounding the arrival and ultimate death of Sia Fatu Kamara. The trial, where Abdul Kpaka stands accused of Kamara’s murder, saw the prosecution’s 5th and 6th witnesses reveal intricate details of Sia’s final minutes.
First Responder’s Account: “She Was Motionless”
Nurse Saminatu Tarawally, who was on duty on the night of August 13, recounted being instructed to bring the patient in from Kpaka’s vehicle. When she arrived at the car, Saminatu testified, Kamara was “motionless” in Kpaka’s arms. Tarawally and a cleaner hurried her into the critical area, where medical staff immediately began assessing her condition.
In vivid detail, Tarawally explained how she cut Kamara’s clothes away to access her body, as her team leader, Nuretta Kamara, examined her pulse and vital signs. As the team waited for a response, the prognosis worsened. “There was no pulse, no breathing,” she recalled somberly. When the doctors arrived, Tarawally was dismissed, leaving her last memory of Kamara on the operating table.
Critical Area Team Leader: “We Did All We Could, But She Was Already Gone”
The sixth prosecution witness, nurse and team leader Nuretta Mariatu Kamara, recounted further harrowing details. Arriving at the scene around 8:20 a.m., she observed that Kamara’s limbs were flexible—a concerning sign. Kamara immediately ordered her team to commence emergency procedures, including an intense cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) session that lasted 25 minutes.
In her testimony, Nuretta stated that the medical staff administered adrenaline and naloxone—drugs used to revive unresponsive patients—while continuously attempting CPR. Despite their efforts, the outcome was grim. “After extensive efforts by the team, she was declared clinically dead,” Nuretta revealed, noting that Kamara had shown no vital signs from the outset.
A Shattering Scene for the Accused
Adding to the drama of the day’s testimony, Nuretta described her encounter with a distraught Kpaka, who waited outside, visibly shaken and tearful. “I informed him we did all we could, but she was already gone,” Nuretta recalled, adding that Kpaka’s grief intensified when an international doctor informed him that Sia had likely died before she even arrived at the hospital.
Defense Probes CCTV Evidence
Defense counsel Emmanuel Teddy Koroma probed the witnesses on Emergency Hospital’s security protocol, with particular focus on its CCTV cameras. Both nurses confirmed that the hospital’s security cameras were operational on August 13, capturing footage that could reveal Kamara’s exact condition upon arrival. Although neither witness directly handled the CCTV footage, Koroma suggested it could be critical to understanding Sia’s state when brought to the hospital.
Emotional Farewell: Family’s Final Glimpse
Nuretta also testified about showing Kamara’s body to her family, who arrived shortly after she was pronounced dead. Among them were her sisters and the accused’s sibling, each of whom took part in the heartbreaking final moments before Kamara’s body was transported away.
The trial, set to continue on Friday, November 1, will further examine the circumstances surrounding Kamara’s death, with the defense seeking to challenge the prosecution’s narrative.
As the case unfolds, the Sierra Leonean public watches closely, awaiting answers to questions surrounding Sia Kamara’s final hours and the role Abdul Kpaka may have played in her tragic death.