By Sallieu S. Kanu
The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) has announced the transfer of two senior police commanders following a series of violent incidents in the southern and eastern regions of the country. The directive, issued by the Directorate of Human Resource Management on Friday, reassigns Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Francis Moses Tower from Regional Police East to the Directorate of Professional Standards, and AIG Brima Kanneh from Regional Police South to Freetown-East.
While the SLP has not officially linked the transfers to recent unrest, sources suggest the move may be a response to mounting security concerns in the affected regions.
On 30th August 2025, the SLP confirmed the tragic killing of Reverend Father Augustine Dauda Amadu, a Catholic priest of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Burma 3 Section, Kenema. According to police reports, the priest was fatally assaulted by unidentified armed assailants who broke into his residence through a damaged window. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, has deeply shaken the local community and the wider Catholic faithful.
A police investigation team responded swiftly, and the priest’s remains were taken to the Kenema Government Hospital Mortuary for post-mortem examination. Authorities have yet to determine whether any property was stolen during the attack. Several parishioners and church officials are assisting police with statements, and a full-scale investigation is underway.
In a separate incident in Bo, Southern Region, John Lamina, Regional Manager of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), narrowly escaped death after being attacked by unknown armed men at his Hanson Street residence. Lamina sustained head injuries but managed to fight off the attackers and flee.
The attack prompted an immediate visit from the Minister of Internal Affairs, who met with senior security officials and urged increased patrols across the region. AIG Brima Kanneh, alongside the Office of National Security (ONS), local authorities, and military personnel, assured residents that security operations had been reinforced.
Community sources note that such violent incidents tend to spike during the rainy season, particularly in poorly lit areas and remote outskirts with difficult road access.
In a related development, police in Bo arrested Rodney Massaquoi and his wife, Mamie Jacob, on 27th August 2025. A search of their residence uncovered a cache of items including a single-barrel gun, an empty rifle magazine, five pairs of Operational Support Division (OSD) uniforms, three OSD berets, two pairs of boots, two OSD belts, a cutlass, a butcher’s knife, and three kitchen knives. Both suspects remain in custody as investigations continue into the origin and intended use of the items.
The Sierra Leone Police have called on the public to remain calm and continue cooperating with law enforcement by providing timely and useful information to aid ongoing investigations.