By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
It is exactly a year to the rainy day of 9 August 2022 when the body of Namisa Fatmata Kamara was discovered in a shallow grave inside a fenced compound at Sumaila Town in Freetown, nine days after she had gone missing. There have been no arrests or charges, leading the family to accuse the police of neglect.
According to an autopsy report, referenced by her mother, the 22-year-old university student was deflowered and brutally killed, apparently inside the house, before she was buried.
Namisa’s family, who have campaigned tirelessly for justice for their daughter, have accused the police of neglecting her case “because we are poor”.
Speaking to Politico, amid tears, Namisa’s parents blasted the police, accusing them of “inaction” and “neglecting the matter”. There have been no arrests or charges levelled against anyone.
Namisa was reported missing on the 1 August 2022 and her body was discovered in a shallow grave days later, at the home of the Bobani-Browns at Sumaila Town.
Her mother, Mariama Kargbo, has expressed frustration over her daughter’s death, saying life has not been okay with them since her body was discovered. She recalled how they used to live and play together, and how her daughter was full of life.
She said that since her daughter was killed the police had brought no charges against anyone, accusing the force of “always giving us excuses that there are more sources to be investigated before the matter can be charged to court”.
She quoted the police as saying that matters of such magnitude would take more than three years before they are charged to court. But in a counter argument, she referenced a similar case involving a bank manager whom, she said, was charged to court in less than a month of the death of the victim.
Madam Kargbo noted that the police neglect could be attributed to bribery or because her family were poor and uninfluential, so the matter had been compromised. She alleged that the compound where the incident took place had been rented to new tenants.
She called for justice as they were marking the first anniversary of the killing of her daughter.
“I want justice for my daughter,” she said.
Gerald Magba Kargbo, the late Namisa’s uncle, stated that it was the responsibility of the police to find out whoever might have killed his niece. He said there were clear exhibits with the police to lead to the evidence and the killer(s). Among others, he cited the deceased’s mobile phone numbers, the compound where she was pronounced missing and her body eventually discovered, as well as the autopsy report.
He asked why the Operations Support Division (OSD) officer on duty in the compound was yet to be brought to book after allegations pointed against him. He said the delay on the matter showed “a clear ineptitude and inefficiency” on the side of the police.
“At first they were blaming the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for delaying to advice on the matter, whilst at the same time the [then] DPP said he had long ago advised them on what to do. So who is fooling who?” he asked.
Kargbo called for a speedy investigation for the matter to be charged to court before another murder happen again. He said her sister’s life is at risk since the killer of Namisa is still at large.
Politico reached out to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officer in charge of the matter, Tamba Kassiegbama, but he said he was busy for the next two days and so would not talk on the matter. He however said that the matter was still being investigated.
The head of CID, RPG Robert also promised to get back to Politico on the matter but did not.
Earlier, the investigators had said that they were stuck with the mobile phone companies for a call log of the deceased whom they said had not made such available. An official at one of the companies contacted said “that is unlikely”, adding that they had obliged similar requests that were made in more recent times.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (09/08/23)
