A REGIONAL network of human rights and media lawyers, the West Africa Network of Activists and Media Defense Lawyers (WANAMDEL), has condemned the alleged assault on one of its members, Paul Kamara, by police officers in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
In a statement on April 7, WANAMDEL said the incident occurred on April 4 at the Adonkia Police Station, where Kamara, also a journalist, had gone to follow up on investigations into the death of his colleague, Augustine Sensie Bangura.
According to the group, Kamara was at the station’s Criminal Investigations Department and later joined sympathisers consoling the bereaved family when he witnessed a confrontation between a police officer and a civilian.
The statement said Kamara attempted to de-escalate the situation but was instead assaulted by the officers.
“He was physically assaulted, restrained, and pepper sprayed by another officer, despite identifying himself as a lawyer and journalist,” WANAMDEL said, describing the officers’ actions as a violation of professional standards and the rule of law.
The group also criticised the response Kamara received when he tried to file a complaint at the station.
It said officers at the Complaints Desk treated him with indifference and ridicule, only allowing him to lodge a formal complaint after intervention from concerned individuals who contacted the Local Unit Commander.
WANAMDEL called for an immediate, independent, and transparent investigation into the incident, as well as sanctions against all officers involved.
It also urged the Sierra Leone Police to take concrete steps to prevent similar occurrences and to uphold the rights and dignity of citizens.
The incident came amid growing concerns over press freedom violations across West Africa and the broader continent. Reports document increasing cases of harassment, arbitrary arrests, and assaults on journalists by security forces.
Recent reports by the Media Foundation for West Africa show that press freedom in the region remains precarious, with multiple cases of repression recorded in countries including Sierra Leone and Ghana. Similarly, the International Press Institute documented at least 149 threats to press freedom across 30 sub-Saharan African countries within a three-month period in 2025.
Data compiled by media monitoring groups also indicate that West Africa recorded over 100 press freedom violations in 2024 alone.
Global watchdog Reporters Without Borders has repeatedly warned of declining press freedom rankings in parts of Africa, linking the trend to political instability, weak institutions, and the growing role of security agencies in suppressing dissents.
In several cases, journalists covering elections, protests, and governance issues have been assaulted or arbitrarily detained.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M