Freetown, Sierra Leone – February 18, 2026 – Edwina Hawa Jamiru, a 21-year-old law student at Fourah Bay College and mother involved in a high-profile paternity case, has been released on bail after more than 150 hours (over 6 days) in police detention, according to family sources and civil society organizations.
Her release was reportedly facilitated through legal intervention by AdvocAid Sierra Leone, a local women’s rights advocacy group dedicated to providing support and representation for detained women.
Jamiru was detained by Sierra Leone’s Cyber Unit following a video she posted on February 9, 2026, responding to remarks made by First Lady Dr. Fatima Maada Bio during a live interview on AYV Media Empire’s “Wake Up Sierra Leone” program earlier that day.
In the interview, the First Lady disclosed that she had been personally funding Jamiru’s university education to help her become a lawyer, stating, “I am the one paying the school fees for Edwina Jamiru. She told me she wanted to be a lawyer, and I’m helping her with her school fees.” However, Dr. Bio expressed frustration over Jamiru’s actions, accusing her of misconduct and dragging her into personal matters, adding, “I am not paying your school fees to do the things that you are doing … so why did you want to drag me into it?”
In her rebuttal video, Jamiru described the First Lady’s comments as “bad, painful, and pathetic,” insisting that her past relationship with suspended Court of Appeal Judge Momoh Jah Stevens involved sexual abuse rather than consensual misconduct.
She emphasized that she had fought the paternity case largely on her own, representing herself in court at times, and that DNA evidence had confirmed Stevens as the father of her six-month-old child.
Jamiru urged the First Lady to “know your boundaries,” highlighting what she saw as a misrepresentation of her experience as a survivor of exploitation that began when she was a minor.
The detention, which lasted over six days without Jamiru being formally charged in court, has raised alarms about potential violations of Sierra Leone’s legal standards, which mandate that detainees be presented before a magistrate within 72 hours.
Sources indicate the arrest was linked to cybercrime charges, including possible stalking and harassment, stemming from her online critiques.
This is not Jamiru’s first encounter with the authorities; she was previously arrested in September 2025 on domestic violence charges filed by Justice Stevens, and again in December 2025 for related cyber offenses amid the ongoing paternity dispute.
The case has drawn significant public scrutiny, amplifying tensions around freedom of expression, media commentary, and the accountability of public figures in Sierra Leone.
Civil society groups, including the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ), confirmed her release on February 17, 2026, via Inspector Kamara of the Cyber Unit, though details on bail conditions remain limited. Advocacy organizations like African Women’s Research Initiative for Social Empowerment (African Women’s R.I.S.E.) have previously called for independent investigations into the handling of Jamiru’s cases, citing concerns over judicial conduct, child support enforcement, and protections for whistleblowers.
Justice Stevens, Jamiru’s former lecturer, remains suspended as the paternity suit progresses, with ongoing demands for child support and scrutiny over power imbalances in the relationship. The First Lady’s involvement has also spotlighted her “Hands Off Our Girls” campaign against gender-based violence, with critics questioning its application in cases like Jamiru’s.
