Sewa News Stream

Last week, several newspapers reported that a district court in the Netherlands had ordered convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers to pay over 96 million euros to the Dutch state. This ruling followed a confiscation procedure that initially sought a record 221 million euros in criminal assets. Prosecutors believe that Leijdekkers, a central figure in international cocaine smuggling, is receiving high-level protection in Sierra Leone. This week, the Gleaner newspaper reported that Abu Bakarr Naorie, also known as Buba NaOrie, has been identified as the mastermind behind a suspicious boat believed to be involved in cocaine transportation in Freetown. Naorie is the owner of a fishing company and is currently under scrutiny due to the recent discovery of a vessel suspected of transporting illegal substances. The fishing company has been accused of using its fishing harbor and cold storage facilities as fronts for drug smuggling operations. According to allegations, Naorie oversaw these ...

  Fifty years ago, on July 19, 1975, I looked in fear at the lifeless body of Ibrahim Bash-Taqi hanging on the high brick wall of Pademba Road in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Taqi was executed by hanging alongside former finance minister Mohamed Forna, Army Lieutenant Habib Lansana Kamara, and Paramount Chief Bai Makarie N'silk at Pademba Road. The turmoil began after a disputed election in 1967, which led to a military coup that overthrew Sierra Leone's civilian government following independence. This military rule lasted just over a year and ended with another coup that reinstated Siaka Stevens, whose All People's Congress (APC) had won the 1967 elections. Between 1968 and 1969, tensions grew between the APC and the opposition Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), which had governed from 1961 to 1967. Dissatisfaction increased among some APC members, leading to the formation of the National Democratic Party (NDP). This party fueled opposition against the APC through newslett...