By Amin Kef (Ranger)
In a surprising turn of events, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mira Yainkain Dumbuya (Nee Koroma), a decorated senior officer with 17 years and 8 months of service in the Sierra Leone Police, has tendered her resignation. The resignation, addressed to the Inspector General of Police at the Sierra Leone Police Headquarters in Freetown and dated February 5th, 2024, has sent shockwaves through the law enforcement community.
In her detailed letter, Dumbuya outlines a series of grievances and injustices that she claims have led to her decision to leave the force. Among the issues cited is what she described as, “unexplainable injustices” that have plagued her tenure causing her and her family immense discomfort.
Dumbuya expresses pride in her service to the Sierra Leone Police, highlighting numerous accomplishments during her time with the Force. She recounts initiatives she spearheaded, such as modernizing office equipment, organizing awards ceremonies to motivate personnel and securing donations and funds for various projects. Additionally, she emphasizes her advocacy for women in the force, including efforts to promote deserving female officers.
Despite her dedication and contributions, Dumbuya alleges that she faced obstacles and mistreatment, particularly since 2018. She claims to have been unfairly denied an extension of her service with the United Nations Police Division, despite fulfilling financial obligations imposed by the Sierra Leone Police. Furthermore, she alleges that her pleas for promotions for qualified female officers were ignored, and she faced threats and harassment regarding her Government-assigned quarter.
In light of these challenges and what she perceives as a lack of support from the leadership, Dumbuya has chosen to resign rather than endure further mistreatment. She expresses disappointment that her service and advocacy for gender equality seem to have been disregarded and concludes her letter with a sense of resignation, wishing the Sierra Leone Police well in their future endeavors.
The resignation of such a senior and respected officer has raised questions about the internal dynamics and treatment of personnel within the Sierra Leone Police. It remains to be seen how the force will address these allegations and whether they will have broader implications for the organization’s leadership and policies.
Copies of the resignation letter were also addressed to high-ranking officials, including the Vice President of Sierra Leone, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Police Council, and the Director of Human Resource Management, indicating the gravity of the situation and the potential for further scrutiny of the circumstances leading to her departure.
“She claims to have been unfairly denied an extension of her service with the United Nations Police Division, despite fulfilling financial obligations imposed by the Sierra Leone Police. Furthermore, she alleges that her pleas for promotions for qualified female officers were ignored, and she faced threats and harassment regarding her Government-assigned quarter.”-ACP Dumbuya
There is more to this story than the three main reasons highlighted in this article.
First the claim that she has been unfairly denied an extension of her service with the UN Police Division despite fulfilling financial obligations imposed by the SLP is very serious. Serving in the UN police Division is on merit and not financial obligation. The latter is an illegal deal and maybe the press should follow it up to know who she paid to and how much did she pay (I hope it could be done). There are over 20, 000 police men and women. Having the opportunity to go on duty with the UN is for a stipulated time and according to the rules it should be rotational. If we have police officers paying monies (bribing officers at Police Headquarters) to extend their stay after the completion of their tour, it means that they are selfish and greedy as they are depriving other officers from benefitting from the experience and whatever financial gains comes along with it.