Lawrence Williams: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 03 November 2025:
President Julius Maada Bio last week announced new measures to confront Sierra Leone’s escalating Kush crisis, including the establishment of a special court dedicated to trying drug-related cases.
The president also instructed the chief justice to develop a new sentencing practice direction for offenders for the court and directed the Attorney General’s office to conduct a “comprehensive review” of all existing legislations on drugs and substance abuse.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholder meeting at State House, President Bio described the situation as a matter of “profound urgency,” noting that the scale of the crisis requires Sierra Leone to “deepen our resolve against the scourge of Kush.”
As part of the new strategy, government will also establish a special security unit, comprising police and military personnel, to intensify nationwide enforcement efforts, alongside creating a special fund to support interventions targeting prevention, community engagement, and other measures.
Last Wednesday, President Bio visited a rehabilitation centre for Kush victims, where he held discussions with parents and interacted with some of the 100 patients currently receiving treatment there.
The president’s actions come amid sustained media reporting and mounting public pressure, following alarming disclosures by Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr that her council has collected more than 200 bodies in the streets of people who died from drug-related causes between January and October.
In a related development, the police announved last week that 130 suspected drug dealers were arrested in nationwide crackdown.
As part of ongoing efforts to crack down on Kush and other dangerous substances, the police said arrested 130 suspected drug dealers during 174 major raids conducted between 20–26 October, said CSP Michael J. K. Laggah, head of the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU).
These suspects were arrested with large quantities of Kush and Tramadol from different parts of the country. A Guinean national named Laurencia Kollie was also roped in after being found with 91 pellets of suspected cocaine at Jendema checkpoint.
Meanwhile, 51 of them have been charged to court while 79 are still under investigation, the police said.
The police stated that its anti-drug strategy combines tough law enforcement measures with community sensitisation and public education, and urged citizens to report drug-related activities.
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