The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) has condemned threats made against radio journalist Amadu Lamrana Bah, calling the incident a “grave attack on press freedom” and urging the police to investigate.
In a statement on Tuesday, SLAJ said the threats emerged after a video circulated on social media allegedly showing Madam Admire Bio making abusive remarks toward Bah, presenter of the Morning Devotion programme on Truth Radio. A male voice in the background also issued threats and used “vile and unprintable language” against him, the association said.
The threats reportedly followed Bah’s public comments on the devastating effects of Kush, a synthetic drug blamed for destroying the lives of many young people in Sierra Leone.
“We are deeply disturbed by this report. Threats against journalists are unacceptable and must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” SLAJ President Alhaji Manika Kamara said in the statement.
SLAJ described the incident as not only disrespectful but also a direct assault on freedom of expression and the press, both of which are protected under the country’s 1991 Constitution. It cited Section 11, which guarantees the press the right to hold the government accountable, and Section 25(1), which protects citizens’ right to receive and impart information without interference.
The association called on the Sierra Leone Police to launch an immediate investigation and ensure that journalists can perform their duties “without fear, intimidation, or reprisal.”
SLAJ also urged public officials, political actors, and citizens to maintain civility and respect the media’s constitutional role as watchdogs of society.
“An attack on one journalist is an attack on every Sierra Leonean’s right to know,” Kamara said.
Bah, a respected broadcaster, has not yet publicly commented on the threats.
By Joe Turay
