A man identified by multiple sources as a member of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces was arrested on May 27, 2024, in the Northern District of Tonkolili. The arrest is linked to allegations of his involvement in the November 26 coup attempt, which resulted in numerous military and prison officer fatalities. The suspect, Sergeant 506 Mohamed Koroma, had reportedly been in hiding since being declared wanted by the Sierra Leone Police.
Koroma was apprehended in Magbondo village, Kholifa Mabang Chiefdom, by a joint police and military team. Eyewitnesses described the raid as involving two armed jeeps arriving in the village during the afternoon. According to a resident, the officers ordered Koroma to comply or face immediate consequences.
Despite being wanted for allegedly conspiring to overthrow President Bio’s government while serving in the Fourth Infantry Brigade in Makeni, sources confirmed Koroma was in the village well before the November 26 coup attempt.
“He has spent almost months in the village before the November 26 alleged coup. But we were told he was wanted by the Sierra Leone Police for allegedly attempting to unseat President Bio’s government,” one resident stated.
Residents noted that Koroma had been in Magbondo for the past seven months and had disclosed his status as a military officer to some villagers.
“It’s no longer a secret in the village that Koroma is one of the soldiers wanted by the Sierra Leone Police because he did tell some of us that he’s in hiding,” an anonymous resident revealed.
Magbondo Village Town Chief Issa Koroma confirmed that the arrest took place while he was absent. According to witnesses, the arresting officers, initially in plain clothes, revealed their identities only after detaining Koroma. Abdul Sesay, a villager now living in Kenema, reportedly led the authorities to Koroma, having tracked the soldier’s phone communications with his wife.
Koroma was allegedly beaten, handcuffed, and taken to an undisclosed location, causing panic among the villagers due to the uncertainty of the arresting officers’ identities and the destination of the detained officer.
Local Unit Commander Michael JK Lagga of the Mile 91 Police Station verified that the arresting team had informed him of their intentions beforehand. A family source confirmed that Koroma is currently under investigation at the Criminal Investigations Department in Freetown.
Since the arrest, neither the Sierra Leone Police nor the government has issued an official statement regarding the incident, leading to heightened anxiety in the village.
