By Alimatu Jalloh
Sierra Leone — October 14, 2025: Thirty-four-year-old Revenue Officer Adama Josephine Keifala Samba appeared before Magistrate Augustine Brima Samura at Pademba Road Court No. 8 to answer to multiple charges of domestic violence filed under case numbers C/S 2336/2025, C/S 2337/2025, C/S 2365/2025, and C/S 2366/2025. The charges include physical, emotional, economic, and psychological abuse, all contrary to Section 2(1) of the Domestic Violence Act No. 20 of 2007.
According to the particulars of the offense, between January 1 and June 21, 2025, at No. 8 Madongo Town off Congo Cross in Freetown, the accused allegedly abused her husband, Buawah Jobo Musa Samba, in various forms while in a domestic relationship.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Joan M. S. Bull Esq., representing the prosecution, applied for the discharge of two of the charges and requested the joinder of the remaining two, arguing that they were part of a series of related offenses. The defense did not oppose the application, and Magistrate Samura granted the joinder for a more efficient trial process.
Upon hearing the charges, the defendant pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution’s first witness, Buawah Jobo Musa Samba, a civil servant, recounted a series of incidents that led to the charges. He testified that following his wife’s return from the United States with their children, she proposed several plans to return abroad, including pursuing studies, marrying a U.S. citizen, and arranging for the children’s adoption. Disagreements over these proposals, particularly involving a female friend in Germany who offered to assist with adoption, allegedly escalated into verbal and physical confrontations.
The witness described a heated encounter involving the defendant, her younger sister, and their mother, during which he was allegedly assaulted and humiliated. He claimed that the situation deteriorated further when family members, accompanied by security personnel, confronted him at his residence, leading to further verbal abuse and threats.
Following the testimony, the prosecution requested a short adjournment. Defense counsel M. S. Bah Esq. applied for bail, arguing that the defendant was not a flight risk and had reliable sureties. Magistrate Samura granted bail in the sum of twenty thousand Leones with one surety, who must be an ordinary resident of Freetown and present valid identification.
The matter has been adjourned to October 20, 2025, for further hearing.