By Mohamed Mansaray

Abdul Fofanah, a hunter from Golanhun Town in Tonkia Chiefdom, Kenema District, has been sentenced to two years’ imprisonment by newly transferred Magistrate Hadiru Daboh of Magistrate Court No. 1 in Kenema, the sentence, handed down on June 4, 2025, follows Fofanah’s conviction for unlawful possession of arms and ammunition.

The accused was charged with possession of prohibited arms, contrary to Section 22(1) of the Sierra Leone Commission of Arms and Ammunition Act No. 24 of 2023. According to court records, on February 11, 2025, Fofanah was found in possession of a single-barrel shotgun and one cartridge both without a valid license at Golanhun Town in the Eastern Province.

Fofanah pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to serve two years at the Sierra Leone Correctional Centre in Kenema. Alternatively, he was given the option to pay a government fine of NLe 3,000. Magistrate Daboh also ordered that the confiscated firearm and cartridge be forfeited to the state. Inspector Alphan Samuel Musa prosecuted the matter on behalf of the state.

The arrest followed an investigation by the Transnational Organised Crime Unit (TOCU) in the Eastern Region. According to the investigation, Fofanah was found in possession of a locally made single-barrel shotgun and a cartridge. Statements were obtained from the arresting and supporting officers, and the weapons were submitted to the Scientific Support Unit for forensic examination. A ballistic report confirming the findings was attached to the prosecution file.

Copy right –Printed in the Expo Times News on Monday, June 9TH, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)