News

By Mustapha Sesay

The United Nations (UN) entity for gender equality and empowerment of women says it will help establish a forensic lab in the country.

UN WOMEN makes the statement days after the corpse of an 18-year-old lady was found naked on Aberdeen Beach in Freetown. The find of the remains of the deceased, Hannah Bockarie, was followed by a large vigil organized last Friday by Power Women 232, which the UN Resident Coordinator and the Country Representative of the global gender entity were part of.

By Mustapha Sesay

The African Youth and Children’s Network, AYCH-SL, has called on government to give more support to family members of deceased heath workers who lost their lives in the fight against the Ebola epidemic.

The latest call is one of many such advocacy efforts since the government, some nine months ago, promised to initiate a policy to give $5,000 to each family of health workers who died in the fight against the Ebola Virus Disease.

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

A 16-year old girl in police custody in Kono over the

killing of her boyfriend has admitted stabbing him to death.
But Mary, not her real name, talking to Politico in an exclusive interview in detention at the Motema Police Division last week, said she did so in self defense.

The alleged incident occurred on August 14 in Jaima Town, Nimikoro Chiefdom. The victim, Sahr Gborie, 26, died after been stabbed following an altercation.

By Mohamed T Massaquoi in Pujehun

Authorities in disaster-prone Pujehun have reactivated the District Disaster Management Committee ahead of anticipated heavy downpours that have in the past led to flooding and severe destruction.

Over the years Pujehun has experienced both fire disasters and flooding, leaving many people homeless and in huge financial losses. While fire outbreaks are usually frequent in the month of March, flooding happens in the months of August and September.

By Crispina Taylor

As Sierra Leone yearns for the much anticipated start of the 42-day countdown to declare it free of the Ebola epidemic, the effectiveness of the toll-free emergency line has been called to question.

The emergency 117 call line was designed to enable citizens call-in on time in case of a suspected case so that health officials can swiftly respond to prevent any further spread of the virus.

But reports from the ground is that either there is delay to respond to calls or health officials do not turn up at all.

By Mustapha Sesay

A series of mysterious deaths in and around Freetown recently has sparked fears of a resurgence of murderous crime in the capital. The most recent of these, last Saturday, involved a security guard, murdered in cold blood while on duty at Bathurst Street in the city center.

The victim, Ibrahim Bah, was hastily buried under the Ebola burial protocol. No postmortem was carried out and that, say police, is a concern. A CID source hinted at the possibility of exhumation during the course of investigation.