A woman accused of fatally stabbing her husband appeared before Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at the Freetown Magistrate Court on Thursday, facing a charge of manslaughter.
Isata Bendu is alleged to have unlawfully caused the death of her husband, Mustapha Bangura, on April 2, 2025, at their residence on Aberdeen Road in Freetown.
According to the charge sheet, Bendu is accused of stabbing Bangura with a knife during a domestic dispute, an act that led to his death.
As the matter came up for preliminary investigation, Bendu did not take a plea—standard procedure in such cases pending full trial.
The court will determine whether sufficient evidence exists for the case to proceed to the High Court.
Prosecuting the case, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ibrahim S. Mansaray informed the court that the exhibit clerk, expected to present the alleged murder weapon, could not attend due to official duties. He therefore requested an adjournment to allow for the witness to be present.
Magistrate Jah granted the request and ordered that Bendu be remanded at the Male Correctional Centre in Freetown—an arrangement often made when the female facility is at capacity or for security reasons.
The case has been adjourned to July 10, 2025, for further hearing.
