In a recent social media post, Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, former presidential candidate of the Alliance Democratic Party (ADC), claimed that Nigerian musicians Tiwa Savage and Ayra Starr were flown to Sierra Leone on November 29, 2024, to perform at the engagement ceremony of Agnes Bio, daughter of President Julius Maada Bio, and Jos Leijdekkers, a Dutch national wanted for drug-related offenses.
Mansaray alleged that the artists were compensated $100,000 each for their performances.
He stated, “Julius Maada Bio’s daughter, Agnes Bio, and her cocaine partner Leijdekkers Jos flew Tiwa Savage and Ayra Starr from Nigeria to Freetown on a private jet and were paid $100,000 each to perform at their engagement party on November 29th, 2024.”
In a separate post, Mansaray accused Sierra Leone’s Chief Immigration Officer, Alusine Kanneh, of purchasing three houses in Delaware and Pennsylvania, USA, totaling nearly $2 million between November 2022 and July 2024.
He further alleged, “Alusine Kanneh was in the video with Leijdekkers Jos at Scallet Night Club shootings in 2023.”
On Thursday, the Dutch government officially requested the extradition of convicted drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers from Sierra Leone. Dutch Minister of Justice and Security, David van Weel, confirmed that the extradition request was submitted to Sierra Leonean authorities yesterday.
“I hope for swift action from the authorities of Sierra Leone and to find them on our side in this fight against international organized crime,” he said.
In June of the previous year, Leijdekkers, 33, was sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison by a Rotterdam court for smuggling over seven tonnes of cocaine. Reports from January indicated that he had been residing in Sierra Leone for approximately six months.
On Tuesday, Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu announced that the individual believed to be Leijdekkers has been identified as Umar Sheriff. He stated, “The picture that has been circulating on social media as Jos Leijdekkers—we have been able to, through our Open Source Investigation Unit, affix a name to that face, which is Umar Sheriff.”
The Inspector General noted that a thorough review of formal entry records over the past six months yielded no trace of Umar Sheriff’s official entry into Sierra Leone. He added that multiple raids have been conducted to apprehend Sheriff, but all attempts have been unsuccessful thus far. Authorities remain uncertain about Sheriff’s activities within the country.
“As we speak, we are on the lookout for Umar Sheriff and encourage members of the public to assist the police in their investigations,” Inspector General Sellu urged.
As of now, there has been no official response from President Bio, Agnes Bio, or Alusine Kanneh regarding these allegations.
