By George M. O. Williams
Freetown, January 2026: The Sierra Leone Police (SLP), through its Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU), has disclosed that only three convictions were secured out of 25 human trafficking and migrant smuggling cases charged to court in 2025.
Deputy Head of TOCU, Detective Deputy Superintendent of Police Abass Bangura Esq., made the revelation during the weekly police press briefing at police headquarters in Kingtom, Freetown. He explained that five raids were conducted nationwide during the year, with three additional cases currently before the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) awaiting formal charges, while 12 cases remain under active investigation.
Bangura emphasized that the Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act of 2022 criminalizes both sex and labor trafficking, prescribing penalties of not less than 25 years’ imprisonment. He noted that the law provides punishments comparable to other serious crimes such as rape, underscoring the government’s commitment to tackling trafficking.
According to the 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report on Sierra Leone by the United States Department of State, the government reported investigating 13 trafficking cases during the period under review—10 involving sex trafficking, two forced labor cases, and one unspecified. This marked a decline from 34 cases investigated in the previous reporting period.
The report further highlighted that 20 suspects were prosecuted in 2025, compared to an unspecified number of suspects in 12 cases during the prior period. Importantly, four traffickers were convicted, marking the first convictions in two years. These included three sex trafficking convictions and one forced labor conviction.
Despite these gains, the low conviction rate relative to the number of cases charged underscores the challenges Sierra Leone continues to face in effectively combating human trafficking. Weak investigative capacity, limited resources, and lengthy judicial processes remain significant obstacles to securing justice for victims.
Authorities and stakeholders have reiterated calls for stronger institutional collaboration, increased funding, and enhanced victim support services to ensure that Sierra Leone’s anti-trafficking framework delivers meaningful protection and accountability.