The Director General of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi, has commended the Council of Tribal Heads for its invaluable contribution to Sierra Leone’s remarkable progress in civil registration, describing the institution as a key partner in expanding access to identity services and strengthening national development.

Speaking during a high-level consultative meeting held on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, at the NCRA Headquarters in Freetown, Director General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi welcomed the Executive of the Council of Tribal Heads and reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to working closely with traditional leaders to ensure that every citizen is properly documented through an efficient and inclusive civil registration system.

The meeting brought together senior officials of the NCRA and representatives of the Council of Tribal Heads in the Western Area to discuss strategies for improving access to National Identification Numbers (NINs) and other civil registration services, including the registration of births, deaths, marriages, divorces and other vital events. Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration between Government institutions and traditional authorities to ensure that civil registration services reach communities across the country.

Addressing the gathering, Director General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi praised the Council for its exceptional role during the 2021 national confirmation exercise, noting that the active mobilization of communities by tribal heads significantly contributed to the credibility and success of the exercise.

He explained that the confidence and trust enjoyed by traditional leaders within their respective communities enabled thousands of citizens to participate in the registration process, thereby strengthening the integrity of the national database. According to him, the partnership between the NCRA and traditional authorities has been one of the defining factors behind Sierra Leone’s achievement of recording more than 90 percent of its population in the civil registration database.

The Director General emphasized that such progress would have been difficult to achieve without the dedication, influence and grassroots leadership demonstrated by tribal heads across the country. He described the achievement as a significant milestone in Sierra Leone’s journey towards establishing a comprehensive and reliable national identity management system capable of supporting governance, planning and socio-economic development.

During the meeting, Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi also reminded members of the Council of their statutory responsibilities under Sierra Leone’s civil registration laws. He stressed the importance of ensuring that all vital events, including births, deaths, marriages and other legally recognized life events are promptly registered to maintain accurate national records.

He further updated the traditional leaders on the ongoing nationwide rollout of the National Identification Number, explaining that the NIN has become the country’s primary source of legal identity. He noted that the identification number is increasingly required for citizens to access a wide range of Government services, financial institutions, social protection programmes, employment opportunities, healthcare services and other essential public and private sector transactions.

Members of the Executive of the Council of Tribal Heads welcomed the engagement and reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to supporting the Authority’s national objectives. They pledged to intensify awareness campaigns within their communities and mobilize citizens across Sierra Leone to participate fully in ongoing and future civil registration and national identification exercises.

The traditional leaders assured the Director General that they would continue serving as trusted partners and grassroots ambassadors for the NCRA by encouraging families to register births, deaths, marriages and other vital events promptly while promoting widespread enrolment for National Identification Numbers.

They observed that effective civil registration strengthens governance, improves public service delivery, enhances national security and ensures that every citizen enjoys equal recognition before the law. They further emphasized that comprehensive documentation is essential for inclusive national development and sustainable socio-economic planning.

Stakeholders who attended the consultative meeting described Director General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi’s leadership style as inclusive, progressive and community-driven. They commended his deliberate efforts to engage traditional authorities as strategic partners in national development rather than treating them merely as ceremonial institutions.

According to participants, the Director General’s consultative approach has strengthened confidence between the NCRA and local communities, creating stronger partnerships capable of expanding civil registration coverage nationwide. They noted that lasting national systems can only succeed when built on collaboration, mutual trust and shared responsibility between Government institutions and community leaders.

The meeting concluded with both the National Civil Registration Authority and the Council of Tribal Heads reaffirming their shared vision of achieving a fully documented Sierra Leone. Both parties pledged to sustain their collaboration as the Authority intensifies nationwide registration campaigns and expands National Identification Number enrolment, ensuring that no citizen is left undocumented or excluded from accessing essential services and opportunities.

The Principal Magistrate of the Eastern Province, His Worship Hadiru Daboh, has committed 18 accused persons to the High Court for trial after ruling that the prosecution established a prima facie case against them in connection with the June 21, 2026 disturbances in Kailahun Town.

Delivering his ruling in Court No. 1 of the Kenema Judicial District on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Magistrate Hadiru Daboh stated that, after carefully considering the evidence presented and the statements made by all eighteen defendants at the police station, the Court was satisfied that the prosecution had produced sufficient evidence to warrant the matter proceeding to the High Court.

“Having gone through the pieces of evidence advanced before this Court and having regard that all the eighteen defendants have relied on their statements from the police station, it is the position of this Court that the prosecution have made a prima facie case sufficient enough to warrant the committal of the matter to the High Court for trial,” the Magistrate ruled.

The Court consequently refused bail for all eighteen defendants and ordered that they remain in custody pending their appearance before the High Court.

According to the charge sheet filed by the Inspector General of Police, the accused persons face a total of 14 counts arising from the alleged attacks on the Pendembu Road Police Barracks and surrounding residential properties in Kailahun Town on Sunday, June 21, 2026.

The charges include conspiracy to commit a felony, arson, malicious damage, housebreaking and larceny, and incitement.

Court documents allege that the defendants conspired with other persons unknown to commit arson before allegedly setting fire to Block 152A of the Pendembu Road Police Barracks, a Government facility under the custody of the Sierra Leone Police. They are further accused of maliciously damaging Blocks 152A and 152B of the barracks during the incident.

The prosecution also alleges that the accused persons unlawfully broke into several residential quarters within the police barracks and stole cash, household appliances, electronic devices, clothing, police uniforms, motorbikes, furniture, food items and other valuables belonging to multiple residents. The charge sheet lists several complainants, including Abu-Bakr Kallon, Mohamed Seidena Kanneh, Christian Caulker, Sheku Brima, Fassay George Augustine Benjamin, Peter Sundifu, Abass Sillah, Isatu Baby Mansaray, Christopher Abioseh Thomas and Samson Caulker, with the combined value of the allegedly stolen properties amounting to hundreds of thousands of new Leones.

The fourteenth count specifically accuses Jenneh (Jeneba) Senesie of incitement, alleging that she encouraged the other defendants to commit the offences of arson, malicious damage, housebreaking and larceny during the disturbances at Kailahun Police Station and the Pendembu Road Police Barracks.

The eighteen defendants committed to stand trial are Momoh Musa alias Investor, James Ndogbo alias Fastest, Jenneh Senesie, Karim Bockarie, Davis Alpha, Momoh Kallon, Maada Kpulun, Alhaji Kallon, Samuel Yopoi, Ibrahim Saidu, Momoh Janga, Jusu Baimba, Momoh Kanneh, Alie Sesay alias Jolojolo, Lamin Nabieu, Amara Morie, Daniel Amadu alias DJ and Amara Sidie Baimba.

With the committal proceedings concluded, the matter will now be transferred to the High Court, where the accused persons will answer the 14-count indictment. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.