By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, has sounded the alarm over what she described as an “unprecedented and totally unacceptable situation”; the growing number of corpses found on the streets of the capital, which are widely believed to be linked to the consumption of the dangerous substance Kush.
In an official letter dated on September 17, 2025 addressed to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. AIG (Rtd) Morie Lengor, the Mayor revealed that the Freetown City Council (FCC) has been overwhelmed by the frequency of body collections in recent years. While historically the Council has provided pauper burials for destitute individuals, the surge since 2022 has escalated to almost daily collections.
According to FCC records, between January and August 13, 2025, a total of 142 corpses were collected; 136 male and 6 female. Disturbingly, in less than a month after that date, an additional 32 bodies were retrieved, including 31 males and 1 female. Most of the deceased are young people, a reality the Mayor described as “deeply troubling.”
“This phenomenon cannot be met with silence,” Mayor Aki-Sawyerr stressed, urging urgent Government intervention to investigate the root causes and curb the rising loss of young lives. She warned that without immediate action, FCC may be forced to suspend collections, as continuing under silence and strained finances is unsustainable.
The Mayor explained that the increasing collections have forced FCC to set up a special burial team, which requires gloves, disinfectants, masks, body bags and fuel, creating an unbudgeted financial strain on the Council’s already limited resources.
Beyond the financial burden, the Mayor emphasized the moral and societal imperative:
“While the financial implications of this situation are unwelcome, of far greater concern to me is that there is a moral and societal imperative to address this unprecedented and totally unacceptable situation.”
The letter was copied to the Minister of Health, the Inspector General of Police, the Deputy Mayor of Freetown, the Chief Councillor and the Chief Administrator of FCC, signaling the seriousness of the issue.
With drug abuse, especially Kush, increasingly devastating Sierra Leone’s youth, the Mayor’s call adds urgency to growing public concern. She appealed for a coordinated and decisive Government response to protect the city’s young population and restore dignity to the streets of Freetown.
