10/21/2025
The Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, has released detailed information regarding the 220 bodies reportedly collected by the Freetown City Council (FCC) between January and October 8, 2025.
This comes in response to a letter from the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Tamba Lamina, who demanded evidence to back the Mayor’s statement. In his letter, Lamina warned that failure to provide proof would result in “appropriate administrative and policy actions,” describing the Mayor’s claim as “serious and unverified,” with the potential to cause public panic and undermine the government’s coordinated response to the ongoing Kush crisis.
In her written reply dated October 20, Mayor Aki-Sawyerr included a detailed spreadsheet outlining the dates, locations, genders, and burial details of the deceased individuals collected by the FCC.
She further stated that the Council will cease the collection of corpses across the city and called on the Ministry to designate contact persons responsible for handling such cases moving forward.
Meanwhile, Minister Lamina’s move has sparked public criticism, with several Sierra Leoneans expressing that it reflects the government’s lack of seriousness in addressing the escalating drug problem affecting communities nationwide.