By: Audrey Raymonda John
A military officer of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF has appeared before the Principal Magistrate, Mustapha Braima Jah, at the Freetown Magistrates’ Court No. 1 in connection with the alleged killing of a fellow soldier.
The accused, Joseph Lamin Stevens, a Corporal with service number 18181456, was arraigned on Tuesday, 13 January 2026, on one count of murder, contrary to Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act, 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Schedule to the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act, 2021 (Act No. 6 of 2022).
According to the indictment, on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, at the Presidential Lodge, Freetown International Airport, Lungi, within the Port Loko Judicial District, Corporal Stevens allegedly shot and killed his colleague, Military Officer Moses Brima Kabba.
When the charge was read and explained to the accused, no plea was taken, owing to the serious nature of the offence.
The prosecution informed the court that all relevant disclosure documents had been served on the accused to enable him to adequately prepare his defence.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ibrahim Mansaray, prosecuting, applied for an adjournment to allow for the accused’s statement to be tendered. The application was granted.
In his ruling, Principal Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah ordered that the accused be remanded at the Male Correctional Facility in Freetown. The matter was adjourned to 20 January 2026 for the tendering of the accused’s statement and further proceedings.