Military Officer Remanded Over Fatal Shooting of Colleague at Lungi Airport

Joseph Lamin Stevens, a Corporal in the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), appeared before Principal Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1 on Tuesday, 13th January 2026, charged with the murder of his colleague.

Stevens is accused of killing Military Officer Moses Brima Kabba on Wednesday, 26th November 2025, at the Presidential Lodge within Freetown International Airport, Lungi. The prosecution alleges that the defendant shot and killed Kabba in the Port Loko Judicial District.

The single count of murder is brought contrary to Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, as amended by the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act 2021. Due to the gravity of the capital offence, the accused was not required to enter a plea.

During the proceedings, Prosecutor ASP Ibrahim Mansaray confirmed that all relevant legal documents had been served to the defense. He requested a brief adjournment to finalize the taking of the defendant’s statement, a motion which was granted by the bench.

Magistrate Jah ordered that Corporal Stevens be remanded at the Freetown Male Correctional Centre. The matter was adjourned to 20th January 2026 for further hearing.