The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has ordered an immediate halt to excavation activities at Leicester Peak following a site visit prompted by concerns from a sitting Member of Parliament living in the area. The move comes amid fears that ongoing illegal construction poses severe landslide risks to nearby communities, especially with the onset of the rainy season.
The NDMA, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Police, conducted a joint vulnerability assessment at Haja Mattia Drive, where they discovered extensive excavation on two adjacent hilltop plots. The land is reportedly owned by one Fatmata Jalloh, who was not present during the inspection.
The excavation had exposed large boulders and destabilized the slope—conditions officials say significantly endanger residents living downhill. In response, the NDMA ordered an immediate stop to the work. The site’s construction engineer, Babatunde Samuel Kamara, the machine operator, and Ibrahim Jah—the landowner’s brother—were arrested on-site and are currently in police custody as investigations continue.
The NDMA team also inspected a second location at Rockville Drive, where similar activities were taking place. NDMA’s Director of Regional Coordination, Paul Thomas, instructed site caretaker Ibrahim Sesay to cease all operations with immediate effect. He warned that failure to comply would lead to legal action.
Abu Bakar Bangura, Director of Research, Monitoring & Evaluation at NDMA, underscored the ecological importance of Leicester Peak, which he described as a protected area essential to the stability and environmental health of the Western Area. He emphasized that unregulated excavation could compromise the entire hillside, putting lives and infrastructure at risk.
Gerald King, NDMA’s Western Area Coordinator, added that excavation at such altitudes accelerates erosion and weakens the hill’s structural integrity, potentially triggering disasters in surrounding communities. He issued a firm directive for the workers never to return to the site.
The NDMA team conducted a similar assessment at Southridge Hills near the U.S. Embassy, where they issued comparable stop-work instructions.
As part of its broader disaster prevention strategy, the NDMA has vowed to continue working with local authorities and community stakeholders to prevent hazardous construction and protect vulnerable populations.
Members of the public are encouraged to report unsafe building or excavation practices by calling the NDMA’s toll-free emergency line: 1199.
By Franklyn Bolton
