COURT MARTIAL TRIAL
(EPISODE 26)
26th November, 2025.
This afternoon, the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) and the other security agencies in collaboration with the deceased’s Family Members will hold an Interfaith Service in honour of the 18 security personnel, who were brutally killed in resistance against the bloody Coup of 26th November, 2023.
The two-year Memorial Service will take place today at about 2:30 pm at the Forecourt of Defence Headquarters, Cockerill Barracks in Freetown.
In the early hours of 26th November, 2023 – exactly two years today, Freetown was woken up with heavy sounds of gunshots.
A group of retired and serving security personnel led by ex military Sergeant Amadu Koita Makalo attacked and broke into the armoury facilities at Wilberforce Barracks and took away a large cache of arms and ammunition.
Subsequently, the assailants extended their attack to Cockerill and Murray Town Barracks as well as to the country’s custodial facilities, where they set free over 2,000 inmates.
Some of the assailants had served and were still serving as security guards of former President Ernest Bai Koroma. These assailants included Idrissa Hamid Kamara alias Leather Booth, Sorieba Mansaray, Kabbah Dumbuya, ASP Ibrahim Sesay and Staff Sergeant Ibrahim Thorlu Bangura alias Tiger.
In the Court Martial trial involving the State versus Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma and 26 Others, the Prosecution tendered a plethora of evidence to establish the offences of Mutiny, Murder and others preferred against the accused persons.
During the closing arguments of the trial, the Prosecution successfully argued that the attack of 26th November, 2023 was not an act orchestrated to commit Armed Robbery but an act planned, rehearsed and executed to commit Mutiny, Murder and other grave offences.
The Prosecution further argued that the assailants had nurtured a common purpose not only to overthrow President Julius Maada Bio but also to brutally kill any loyal security personnel opposed to their dastardly act.
In one of the evidential audios tendered in Court by the Prosecution, the 6th Accused, Corporal Edward Koroma alias Smallie was heard suggesting the brutal killing of any loyal personnel, resisting them.
Before the execution of the Coup, the 6th Accused had conducted a recce and intelligence-gathering on the security of the main logistics facilities at Murray Town Barracks.
Giving an update about the recce, the 6th Accused told his colleagues that the logistics facilities stored arms and ammunition as well as vehicles that they could utilize to reinforce their colleagues assigned to attack the Joint Presidential Guard Force (JPGF) at State Lodge.
Explaining his scheme of maneuver, the 6th Accused said that in order to seize the arms and ammunition as well as the vehicles, there was a need to secretly kill the Arms Storekeeper and all the loyal troops deployed to man the logistics facilities.
“We can attack and kill them with our bare hands or we can set their building on fire and burn them alive”, the 6th Accused said in his audio, which was trabscribed.
As dictated by the 6th Accused, on the day of the Coup three loyal military personnel namely, Staff Sergeant Kelkifa Kelly Marrah, Sergeant Thomas Rogers and Corporal Sam Kabba were shot and killed by Idrissa Hamid Kamara alias Leather Booth.
Leather Boot was one of the several assailants, who had sneaked into the logistics facilities on the night before the execution of the Coup.
In resistance against the Coup, a total of 18 security personnel were brutally killed. They included:
1. Lieutenant-Colonel Wilfred Sao Samai (RSLAF)
2. Major John Robert Mboma (RSLAF)
3. Staff Sergeant Kelifa Kelly Marah (RSLAF)
4. Staff Sergeant Nabieu Marah (RSLAF)
5. Sergeant Thomas Rogers (RSLAF)
6. Sergeant Abdul Conteh (RSLAF)
7. Sergeant Gbessay Mbayo (RSLAF)
8. Corporal Stevens Sannoh (RSLAF)
9. Corporal Sam Kabbah (RSLAF)
10. Corporal Edmond Conteh (RSLAF)
11. Corporal Kai Mondeh (RSLAF)
12. Corporal Alimamy Kamara (RSLAF)
13. Lance Corporal Nabieu Bangura (RSLAF)
14. Lance Corporal Abu Bakarr Koroma (RSLAF)
15. Private Chernor Sulaiman Bah (RSLAF)
16. Corporal Claude Robert (SLP)
17. Police Constable Sheik-Man Kamara (SLP)
18. Third Class Obi Isaac Johnson (SLCS)
At the Funeral Service held before they were interred, all the 18 deceased security personnel were posthumously promoted to the next ranks.
Sadly, other two civilians were also killed in the Coup. They were Michael Fayiah Kpundeh and Kema Foday Kai.
Besides, in one of the evidential photos, the 6th Accused was armed with Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) on the day of the Coup.
At the end of the Court Martial trial, the 6th Accused was found guilty of all the 14 counts. Subsequently, he was sentenced to a maximum jail term of 120 years.
For information about RSLAF, please visit our Facebook page at Ministry of Defence/Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces or our website at www.mod.gov.sl.
Yayah Brima, Esq.,
Lieutenant Colonel,
Director,
Directorate of Defence Public Relations and Information,
Defence Headquarters,
Cockerill Barracks,
Freetown.
Phone/WhatsApp:
078 452 876
