By: Abu H. Kargbo | Makeni City
Members of the Sesay family residing at 31 Rogbaneh Road, opposite Sabassco Enterprise in Makeni, have appealed for urgent government and judicial intervention in a protracted land dispute involving Alamin Sesay, who reportedly lives abroad.
Bilkisu Kanu, a member of the family, said the dispute had resulted in alleged threats and created an atmosphere of uncertainty for the family. She called on the relevant authorities to intervene and ensure a lawful resolution of the matter.
According to Kanu, the family inherited the property, including the disputed land, from their late grandmother, Ya Amie Sesay, who reportedly left relevant documents before her death in 1998.
She explained that their grandmother had entered into several lease agreements concerning the property, including a 15-year lease with Alamin Sesay. However, Kanu alleged that he later laid claim to ownership of the land.
Kanu further claimed that Alamin Sesay did not present supporting documents to substantiate his ownership claim after their grandmother’s death.
She also alleged that he intended to demolish a structure he had previously erected on the leased land to make way for a new building.
According to her, the disputed portion also serves as an access road for members of the family and their neighbours, raising concerns about the potential impact of any new construction on access to their properties.
Kanu further alleged that several people were familiar with the lease arrangement and claimed that Alamin Sesay had failed to meet an annual payment obligation of Le2, 000 under the agreement.
Another family member, Hassanatu Sesay, alleged that she suffered financial losses amounting to Le100 million after her shop was destroyed by individuals she associated with Alamin Sesay.
She said the incident had left her facing difficulties in repaying loans, particularly as it occurred only a few months after she underwent surgery.
Hassanatu maintained that the proposed construction on the disputed land would further disadvantage the family and called for the matter to be resolved through the appropriate legal channels.
The family is appealing to the government, relevant land administration authorities and the judiciary to intervene and bring the dispute to a conclusion.
They also cited the Customary Land Rights Act, 2022, and the National Land Commission Act, 2022, as part of the legal framework they believe should guide the resolution of land-related disputes.
“We are appealing for a final verdict from the court as soon as possible,” Kanu said.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain Alamin Sesay’s response to the allegations were ongoing at the time of publication. However, no means of contacting him had been established.
The allegations made by the family have not been independently verified, and the account of the other party was not available for inclusion in this report.