High Court Sentences Five to 80 Years for Murder of Kenema Cleric

High Court Sentences Five to 80 Years for Murder of Kenema Cleric

Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens of the High Court in Freetown has delivered a landmark ruling, sentencing five men to 80 years in prison each for their involvement in the brutal robbery and murder of Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu. A sixth defendant was handed a 14-year sentence for receiving stolen property.

The convicted men—Martin Sallu, Gbessay Sawray, Foday Sallu, John Bangali, and Joseph Gikamaji Kamara—were found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravation, robbery with aggravation, conspiracy to murder, and murder. The charges stem from a violent incident occurring between August 1 and August 29, 2025, in Bo.

During the trial, the court heard that the perpetrators, armed with a firearm, robbed the late Reverend Father of a Lenovo laptop and five thousand Leones in cash before ending his life. Medical evidence presented during the proceedings revealed that the victim suffered a broken neck and a fractured right hand, with his body ultimately discovered in a parish church restroom.

In his judgment, Justice Stevens described the killing as "brutal and senseless," noting that the perpetrators failed to provide any justification for their actions. The judge dismissed claims by some defendants that their confessions—which detailed the planning and execution of the crime—were obtained under duress.

Evidence revealed that one defendant, Gbessay Sawray, was already serving a life sentence for a prior offense at the time of the crime, having escaped custody. Another defendant, Foday Sallu, admitted in his police statement that he was aware of the plot to attack the clergyman but failed to alert the authorities, leading the judge to remark that the victim’s life might have been saved had he intervened.

The sixth defendant, Foday Alhassan Sesay, was convicted for purchasing the stolen laptop, admitting he knew the item was illicit at the time of the transaction.

Defense counsel Karim Kargbo of the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board had pleaded for mercy and forgiveness on behalf of the convicts, but the court ultimately ordered that the sentences for the five primary defendants run consecutively.