Tunde Williams, a suspected murderer of Ibrahim Foday, a reporter of privately-owned Freetown-based Exclusive newspaper, was on November 3, 2012 arrested at Kamakwei, a town north of the country by officials of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Sierra Leonean Police Service. Williams, is alleged to have stabbed Foday to death on June 12, 2011 during a land dispute between two towns, Grafton and Kossoh, both 15 miles south east of the capital, Freetown.
According to the correspondent’s report earlier this year, Foday, prior to his death had published a series of critical articles about the land dispute which apparently displeased the Kossoh town folks. While Foday was covering a confrontation between members of the two communities, Williams, a driver of the head of Kossoh town allegedly stabbed him.Williams’ act is alleged to have been aided by a serving member of the Police Service, Constable Musa Samura, who was initially arrested but later released by the police without any charge or explanation. This situation was condemned by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), at the time.
Samura is believed to have aided the stabbing of the journalist by holding him as he tried to flee the melee, the correspondent reported.“We welcome this development, however long it has taken, and hope justice will be done as speedily as possible” says SLAJ President, Umaru Fofana. After more than a year since this gruesome act was committed, the MFWA is relieved that the police have eventually acted on this case.
We protest this killing and call on the police to act swiftly on the case and ensure justice is meted out, in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights to which Sierra Leone is a signatory, and which the constitution of Sierra Leone guarantees.
For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-30-22 4 24 70
Fax: 233-302-22 10 84
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Website: www.mediafound.org
