By Karifa Thoronka
In a press release issued by the Sierra Leone police on Thursday 18 August 2022 announcing the arrest of Alim Samuel Saidu of 14 Main Road Congo Town, Freetown for practicing gay have attracted many citizens going in search of Alim, as majority of Sierra Leoneans are against the crime.
The increasing reports of isolated physical attacks on persons found to be gay seem to have no end in sight as the recent case of Alim Samuel Saidu indicates. According to reliable source, from one Johnathan Kamara of Congo Cross in Freetown, he narrated by identifying Alim Samuel Saidu as one of his best friend since childhood, but Alim his friend had been very secretive about his sexual orientation since they were early teenagers. Until he finally catch him having sex with his male partner.
Whiles explaining to the media, Alim’s friend noted that when he visited Abass Fofonah in search of Alim in the Morning hour of 11 August 2022, he open the door and he could not bear the shock of what he had seen. Therefore, he decided to punch Alim Samuel Saidu on his face and reported the matter to the community chief.
Responding to the incident in disappointing mood, the chief Imam in the Community says that the act is not allow in the Country, and from religions perspective anyone involved in that practice must be kill.
Media Investigation prove that during a door-to-door headhunt for Alim, youth and angry community members ransacked Alim’s house in Freetown and that of his Mother’s place, leaving all his belongings and those of his mother’s property all stolen. Since then, no one knows the way about of Alim but it is believed that both the police and that of the community members are still angrily hunting him.
According to Sierra Leone laws, Lesbianism and Gay acts are totally discouraged and disallowed, the Sierra Leone constitution state that anyone caught in the practice must face a sentence of life imprisonment with hard labor.
