After years of legal battles, emotional distress, and systemic delays, the Musa family of Fornima, Goderich, has finally received justice. The High Court of Sierra Leone, presided over by Justice Adrian Fisher, has ordered the demolition of an illegal commercial structure that had blocked their rightful access road for over five years.
The structure in question was built by Moses Sendor, a junior surveyor at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning (MLHCP), who constructed a shop and entertainment center on a 14.8-foot access road leading to the Musa family’s property. The construction was based on a falsified survey plan dated September 2, 2019, which was validated by senior MLHCP officials despite the absence of legal conveyance or proof of purchase.
According to multiple investigations, including those by MLHCP officials and an independent court-appointed surveyor, Sendor had encroached on the Musa family’s land, effectively blocking their ability to erect a perimeter fence or access their property by vehicle.
“We couldn’t park our cars, we couldn’t secure our home, and we lived in constant vulnerability,” said Mr. Joseph Musa. “It’s been emotionally and financially devastating for our family.”
Court proceedings revealed that Sendor’s fraudulent survey plan unlawfully increased his landholding by adding 0.0307 acres from the Musa family’s access road. Despite multiple injunctions and an arrest warrant issued in 2020, enforcement was repeatedly delayed. In a troubling turn, the arrest warrant mysteriously disappeared from court files, and no action was taken against Sendor at the time.
Technical reports from the Ministry confirmed the encroachment. In a 2020 inspection, Technical Officer Charles Senesie verified that Sendor had built on the access road. This was echoed in 2022 by Engineer Musa Koroma, who wrote that Sendor had effectively turned the access road into his private property.
Justice Fisher’s February 2024 ruling found that there was no legal basis for Sendor’s claim to the additional land. He ordered the removal of all structures encroaching on the Musa property and awarded NLe 70,000 in damages and NLe 50,000 in legal costs to the family. Sendor failed to comply.
In a follow-up ruling in February 2025, Justice Fisher denied Sendor’s request for a stay of execution, dismissing financial hardship as a valid reason for further delay. The Musa family ultimately financed the demolition themselves, paying NLe 40,000 to MLHCP officials who carried out the court’s order in August 2024.
The land was originally acquired by the Musa family in May 1998. Problems began in 2016 when Sendor began constructing a zinc structure on the access road. Over time, he escalated his encroachment—removing boundary markers, digging a water well in the middle of the road, and erecting fences on the Musa property.
“He knew exactly what he was doing,” said Mr. Musa. “He’s a trained surveyor. His actions were deliberate, calculated, and malicious.”
Beyond the personal loss, the Musa family raised serious environmental concerns. The Goderich area is hilly and prone to landslides, and unauthorized construction has the potential to obstruct natural drainage and exacerbate risks—similar to the 2017 mudslide disaster that killed over 1,000 people.
The case has exposed significant flaws in Sierra Leone’s land governance system, including document fraud, official misconduct, and weak enforcement of court orders.
“We want the government to investigate and hold accountable those in the Ministry who enabled this injustice,” said Mr. Musa. “What happened to us must not happen to anyone else. Justice was delayed, but we are grateful it wasn’t denied.”
By Feima Sesay
