Man, 45, Receives 100-Year Sentence

Man, 45, Receives 100-Year Sentence

Mohamed Massaquoi, a 45-year-old man also known by the alias "Kokomani," has been sentenced to 100 years in prison by Justice Mark Ngegba of the High Court. The sentence, which is more than double the defendant's current age, was handed down on Monday following Massaquoi's guilty plea to a series of serious offenses, including multiple counts of armed robbery and the unlawful possession of military-grade firearms.

Massaquoi faced the High Court on four counts: conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravation, armed robbery with aggravation, and two counts of unlawful possession of firearms, all in violation of Sierra Leonean law.

The indictment detailed that between July 21 and July 28, 2025, in Freetown, Massaquoi conspired with others to execute an armed robbery. He was further charged with personally carrying out the robbery, using a gun to steal valuables—including mobile phones, a DVD player, and other items collectively valued at Le6,300,000—from victims Mohamed Marrah and Finda Kamara. Additionally, he was found to be in possession of two unauthorized AK-47 assault rifles on the same dates.

Upon the charges being read, Massaquoi entered a plea of guilty on all four counts. In his allocution to the court, he admitted to the crimes, attributing his actions to drug influence, and sought leniency by claiming recent conversion to Christianity.

State Counsel A. Jalloh argued for the maximum permissible sentence, emphasizing the extreme seriousness of the crimes and requesting that the seized AK-47 rifles be transferred to the Small Arms Commission for immediate destruction.

Justice Ngegba's ruling imposed individual sentences as follows: 10 years for conspiracy, 40 years for the first count of armed robbery, 40 years for the second count of armed robbery, and 10 years for unlawful possession of firearms. The court ruled that all sentences are to run concurrently, resulting in a cumulative term of 100 years imprisonment.