By Saikujohn Barrie
Our country is fast becoming one of the main hubs for QNET-related criminality and banditry in West Africa.
These fraudulent networks have devastated countless families across the subregion, luring victims with false promises of travel to Canada and other countries, only to subject them to exploitation and abuse.
Just days ago, under my guidance, Senegalese and Gambian nationals were freed from captivity in Waterloo and safely returned to their countries.
Yesterday, Guinean victims were also released from the same area and repatriated.
Yet, despite these rescues, the fraudsters responsible were not arrested or charged.
The police merely instructed them to provide transport fares for the victims to return home — a deeply inadequate response to such serious crimes.
The situation is even more alarming in Makeni, where hundreds of Guineans, Senegalese, and Gambians are reportedly languishing under similar conditions.
One Guinean woman recounted a harrowing ordeal in Waterloo: she was forced to endure sexual violence by multiple men each night, and when she resisted, she was beaten mercilessly.
These are crimes of the highest severity, and they demand decisive action.
There are, however, examples of commendable intervention.
In Lungi, the Police, the Paramount Chief, and community leaders acted decisively by arresting one of the criminal leaders and freeing the victims.
The police there are currently investigating the matter, showing that effective enforcement is possible when there is genuine commitment.
The government of Sierra Leone — and especially the Sierra Leone Police — must not ignore the seriousness of this issue.
QNET criminals are operating openly, almost without hesitation, and there are growing fears that influential figures may be enabling or protecting them. This cannot be allowed to continue.
We cannot afford for Sierra Leone to become a hub for such banditry and exploitation.
The government must step up, crack down on these criminal networks, and ensure that victims are protected while perpetrators face justice.
The same vigilance must extend to other hotspots across the country, as well as coordination with local community leaders including bike riders,drivers and alsob neighboring states like Liberia, where similar operations are reported.
This is not only a matter of law enforcement but of national dignity and regional responsibility.
Sierra Leone must act decisively to dismantle these networks and safeguard the lives and futures of West African citizens.
I rest my case
