Amadu Lamrana Bah
By Alpha Amadu Jalloh
In Sierra Leone today, speaking the truth is no longer a civic virtue. It is an act of courage that invites threats, harassment, and worse. At the center of that storm stands Amadu Lamrana Bah, a journalist who has refused to soften his questions or dilute his reporting. For doing his job plainly, honestly, without fear or favour, he has been targeted repeatedly. He is, quite simply, the thorn in the side of dishonest power.
Bah’s interviews prick at the conscience of those who have grown fat on corruption, impunity, and secrecy. He is not alone. Names like Thomas Dixon, Melvin Mansaray, Umaru Fofanah, and many more have felt the same heat. Young journalists and broadcasters Kadijah Bangura, Mabel Kabba, Mamajan Jalloh DJ Base, the teams at AYV, EPIC Radio, Radio Democracy, Phebean Swill, and others are today under threat because they refuse to look away. Truth Radio, built for frank conversation and public accountability, has become intolerable to those who profit from silence.
“When a society allows its youths to be preyed upon by drugs and corruption, it is choosing to chain its future to failure.” *Monopoly of Happiness: Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance* This is the reality confronting Sierra Leone’s families today. Courage like Bah’s is indispensable to shine a light on the corruption and social decay threatening our young people.
What we are witnessing is not isolated intimidation. It is a systemic attack on the public’s right to know. Online harassment, state adjacent bullying, and the weaponisation of social status are all tools used to cow independent journalism. Even the institutions meant to protect journalists including the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists too often issue carefully worded press releases while the danger grows louder and closer to home. Paper trails will not stop bullets or prevent abductions. They will not provide the protective shield that living, breathing journalists need.
The problem is compounded when those accused of wrongdoing move in circles of power. Admire Bio, the President’s niece, has become a symbol of the rot for many who watch power and privilege operate with apparent impunity. Whether by arrogance or protection, when those close to power appear untouchable it sends a poisonous message. That the law is for everyone except the well connected. That message kills trust and it endangers lives.
Others who speak truth or challenge corruption have been singled out. Names like Phebean Swill and several unnamed activists and reporters have faced threats, harassment, or public smears for the simple act of exposing uncomfortable facts. Those targeted are not enemies of the nation. They are the conscience of the nation.
We must also shame the institutions that have failed our children and betrayed their mandates. Our lawmakers who pledge accountability in public but tolerate impunity in private must be called to account. Law enforcement that looks the other way or that is accused of colluding with traffickers must be investigated and reformed. The port authority that is meant to protect our borders must explain how illicit flows of drugs and contraband continue unchecked. The ministries of youth and health and other line ministries must answer for their failures to protect the young and to build effective prevention and treatment programmes. Civil society organisations that claim to advocate for young people yet line their pockets while prioritising opportunities and events over the welfare of those they claim to protect must be exposed and reformed.
The failure extends beyond national borders. International donor agencies that fund youth programs and initiatives in Sierra Leone must also be held accountable. Far too often, funds meant to protect young people and provide rehabilitation are siphoned into administrative expenses, workshops, travel allowances, and overheads rather than reaching the vulnerable youth whose lives are at risk. Programs that are meant to save young people from drugs like Kush often serve only to enrich intermediaries while leaving the real victims exposed. These donors must monitor, audit, and demand results, rather than simply paying lip service to the noble goals of youth development.
I call on SLAJ, international watchdogs such as Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International, and all civil society groups to move beyond statements. Demand tangible protections: safe houses, emergency legal support, witness protection where necessary, emergency hotlines, and visible, public investigations into threats. Hold officials accountable who fail to act and expose those who collude to silence reporters.
I make an unequivocal public demand. The government must act now to confront the scourge of Kush and the criminal networks that prey on our young people. We demand the immediate extradition of Jos Leijdekjers where there are outstanding legal matters. We demand the arrest, prosecution, and dismantling of Kush dealers and manufacturers after fair and transparent investigations. We demand rapid, nationwide treatment programmes for youths affected by Kush addiction. Families who have lost children to this epidemic deserve urgent compensation and support. Those within drug enforcement and law enforcement found to be conniving with traffickers must be fired, investigated, and where warranted prosecuted.
To give this demand the force it needs, I call on all educational institutions including schools, colleges, universities, and their student unions to lay down tools and withhold participation until the government demonstrates clear, verifiable action on these points. A nationwide pause in the normal rhythms of academic life will send a signal the administration cannot ignore. Our children’s lives matter more than complacency
“Every child lost to negligence, every young life stolen by addiction, is a mirror of the state’s failure to protect, nurture, and empower.” *Monopoly of Happiness: Unveiling Sierra Leone’s Social Imbalance* These words are a warning to Sierra Leone’s leaders, donors, and civil society: inaction is complicity, and our youths are paying the price.
None of this is about vendettas. It is about justice. It is about ensuring that those who tell the truth are protected, that the corrupt face consequences, and that the next generation has a chance to grow up in a country that values human life over influence.
Amadu Lamrana Bah may be the thorn, but he is also the conscience of a nation that still remembers how to hope. If our leaders cannot stand the sting of honest scrutiny, then it is not the thorn that should be plucked. It is the skin that has thickened with impunity. We must all choose to defend truth and the brave who tell it rather than continue down the path where silence is currency and corruption is law.
The world is watching. Let Sierra Leone show that it will no longer tolerate threats against its truth tellers and that when its people demand justice they will be heard.
