by Fatima Babih, EdD
Sierra Leone is witnessing a dangerous normalization of selective justice, one that punishes dissent while protecting power.
In a recent interview with Liberty TV Online, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in Freetown confirmed that Edwina Jamiru has been in police custody since December 8, 2025. When asked about the charges, the response was vague but revealing: cyber-related offenses, stalking, harassment…
When pressed on the most basic question of who filed the complaint against Edwina, the Deputy Commissioner refused to disclose the complainant. That refusal is not accidental. It is the pattern.
The Unspoken Name Everyone Knows
Anyone who watched Edwina Jamiru’s last video before her arrest knows exactly who she referenced. She spoke openly and directly about Fatima Bio, the wife of the so-called President of Sierra Leone.
No other individual was named. No other public figure was implicated. And yet, Edwina now sits in detention, charged, not for violence, not for theft, not for incitement, but for speech.
The Hawa Hunt Precedent Deja Vu
This is not new. Sierra Leoneans remember Hawa Hunt, arrested publicly, detained for weeks, with authorities initially refusing to identify the complainant. Only later did the truth emerge: her “crime” was a video made a year or two earlier, critical of Fatima Bio.
Two women. Two arrests. Two vague cybercrime charges. Two withheld complainant identities.
One common denominator.
Dangerous Double Standard
Fatima Bio is the first presidential wife in Sierra Leone’s history to routinely release video messages attacking citizens, including:
- Cabinet ministers
- Members of Parliament
- Journalists
- Ordinary Sierra Leoneans
These attacks are often personal, demeaning, and inflammatory.
Yet despite this public record, Fatima Bio has never been questioned, arrested, or charged for cyber harassment or related offenses. Not once.
Meanwhile, any citizen, especially women, who criticizes her risks arrest, detention, and public humiliation.
This is not law enforcement.
This is power enforcement.
From “First Lady” to Untouchable
There is no provision in the Sierra Leone Constitution granting the President’s wife legal authority, immunity, or enforcement power.
And yet, in practice, criticism of Fatima Bio is treated as a criminal act, while her own conduct remains beyond scrutiny.
That imbalance sends a chilling message:
Free speech exists, unless it speaks upward.
The Cost to Democracy
Edwina Jamiru is not accused of hacking state systems.
She is not accused of espionage.
She is not accused of inciting violence.
Her real offense, in the eyes of power, is this: She spoke critically about the wrong person.
When citizens are arrested for speech while those in proximity to power enjoy total immunity, democracy becomes performative.
When complainants are hidden but detainees are paraded, justice becomes weaponized.
And when fear replaces accountability, silence becomes the goal.
This Is Bigger Than Edwina
Edwina Jamiru’s detention is not an isolated injustice. It is part of a systemic effort to criminalize criticism, especially criticism directed at a politically protected individual.
Today it’s Edwina.
Yesterday it was Hawa.
Tomorrow, it could be you.
Sierra Leone Must Choose
A country cannot claim democracy while punishing dissent.
A government cannot claim justice while shielding favored individuals.
And a society cannot protect women by imprisoning those who speak up.
Edwina Jamiru must be released or formally charged under transparent, lawful procedures.
The complainant must be named.
And the law must apply equally, without fear or favor.
Until then, Sierra Leoneans are left with an uncomfortable truth:
In Sierra Leone, justice is no longer blind. It knows exactly who to protect.
#FreeEdwinaJamiru
MAMA SALONE ~ Lioness of the West Coast 