KENEMA – The High Court in Kenema presided over by Hon. Justice Abdul Sheriff has sentenced seven young men to a total of 210 years imprisonment for conspiracy and murder.
The convicts – Sidie Kandeh, Ibrahim Kamara, Alie Fomba, Musa Kallon, Umaru Rashid, Moses Junior Vandi and Ibrahim Juana – all of Jenneh Town, Kandu Leppiama Chiefdom, Kenema District, were found guilty of conspiring and murdering Abu Bakarr Lolleh on April 27, 2025.
All seven pleaded guilty to the charges of Conspiracy and Murder.
To prove its case, the prosecution, led by the State, called seven witnesses.
The Court heard that on the said date, after a sports meet organized by St. Patrick Secondary School, Jenneh Gbando, the deceased, who was a teacher at the school, returned to the school field to tidy up the compound.
According to evidence, while he was about to leave in the company of two girls, the defendants emerged armed with sticks and other implements.
They attacked the teacher and started beating him mercilessly all over his body, despite intervention from a man who tried to stop them.
The deceased eventually collapsed and the accused persons fled the scene. He was rushed to the nearby Health Centre but was later pronounced dead.
His body was initially buried, but was later exhumed for examination. A postmortem examination was conducted and the findings were tendered in court by PW7, a medical doctor.
30 Years Each
In his judgment, Justice Abdul Sheriff considered the guilty plea of the defendants and the plea in mitigation by their counsel for the court to temper justice with mercy.
However, noting the gravity of the offence and the manner in which the innocent teacher was killed, the Judge sentenced each of the seven convicts to 30 years imprisonment.
The sentences will run concurrently, meaning each man will serve 30 years behind bars – amounting to 210 years in total for all seven.
The judgment has been welcomed by residents of Jenneh Town who described the late Abu Bakarr Lolleh as a dedicated teacher.
