By: Audrey Raymonda John
Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens of the High Court of Sierra Leone has ordered the destruction of large quantities of illegal drugs, including cocaine, tramadol, kush, and other pharmaceutical substances, in a bid to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
Delivering his ruling in Court No. 1 in Freetown, Justice Stevens emphasised the devastating impact of drug abuse on the country’s youth, stating, “These drugs are destroying the future of our young people” He granted the State’s application for a supervised public disposal of the seized substances under Section 47(2) and (3) of the National Drugs Control Act 2008, even though related cases are still pending before the Magistrate’s Court.
The order came in response to an application filed by State Prosecutor Yusif Isaac Sesay Esq who sought the court’s approval for the destruction of the confiscated drugs The application, dated February 26, 2025, was supported by an affidavit deposed by Alpha Jalloh, a State Counsel at the Law Officers’ Department Eight exhibits were attached to the affidavit, providing critical documentation, including:
Exhibit AJ1 is a letter from the Head of the Transnational Organised Crime Unit TOCU requesting a court order for the public destruction of drugs
Exhibit AJ2 is a list of particular cases under investigation concerning the seized substances
Exhibit AJ3 is a request from the Executive Director of the National Drug Control Agency for the destruction of illegal drugs
Exhibit AJ4 is a case and inquiry file with CR No 482/2024
Exhibit AJ5 contains laboratory analysis reports confirming the presence of pharmaceutical drugs, kush, cocaine, and other dangerous substances
Exhibit AJ6 is a case and inquiry file with CR No 507/2024 containing parcels of cocaine.
Exhibit AJ7 is a laboratory analysis report confirming substances suspected to be cocaine
Exhibit AJ8 is a laboratory analysis report identifying white substances suspected to be cocaine, tramadol, and kush
In granting the application, Justice Stevens issued the following orders
The court grants an order for the public disposal of tramadol, cocaine, kush, and other pharmaceutical drugs in the custody of TOCU with supervision in accordance with the National Drugs Control Act 2008
A substantial portion of all exhibits related to case and inquiry files CR No 447/2024, CR No 482/2024, CR No 502/2024, CR No 507/2024, CR No 378/2024, and CR No 03/2024 must be destroyed
Two grams of each exhibit shall be preserved for the due administration of justice
The preserved samples must be destroyed at the conclusion of the trial
The ruling marks a significant step in the fight against drug-related crimes in Sierra Leone reinforcing the government’s commitment to tackling illegal drug trafficking and its harmful effects on society