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Friday, May 09, 2025
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Sierra Leone's Immigration Chief Dismissed Following Drug Lord Controversy
President of Sierra Leone terminates the head of immigration services after footage reveals ties to Dutch drug kingpin.
Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio has dismissed Alusine Kanneh, the head of the immigration service, following the release of footage showing him receiving a birthday gift from Johannes Leijdekkers, a fugitive Dutch drug lord.
The video, which surfaced recently through an investigative report, shows Kanneh receiving a present at a dinner held in an upscale restaurant in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.
Leijdekkers, who is 33 years old, is one of Europe's most wanted fugitives, having been sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison for drug smuggling by a Rotterdam court last June.
He reportedly has been in Sierra Leone since at least 2022, raising concerns regarding his connections with local political elites, including Kanneh.
The timing of Kanneh's dismissal coincides with growing suspicions about the involvement of Sierra Leone’s political class in aiding Leijdekkers' activities in the region.
Reports suggest that Leijdekkers has frequented nightclubs and social gatherings in Sierra Leone and may have even attended a church service alongside President Bio’s daughter, Agnes Bio, earlier this year.
The immigration ministry under Kanneh had recently initiated an investment-for-citizenship scheme known as 'Go-for-Gold,' which allows investors to obtain Sierra Leonean citizenship within 90 days for a fee of $140,000, drastically reducing the traditional eight-year residence requirement.
Leijdekkers, who also holds a Turkish passport from a previous residence there while evading Dutch authorities, is alleged to have connections with organized crime syndicates that have historically used West African nations as transit points for cocaine shipments destined for Europe.
The Sierra Leonean police previously identified an individual in church service footage as Omar Sheriff; however, it remains unclear if this person is indeed Leijdekkers.
Furthermore, while Dutch authorities are exploring extradition options for Leijdekkers, no formal extradition treaty exists between Sierra Leone and the Netherlands.
Unrelatedly, this controversy arises as Sierra Leonean authorities recalled their ambassador from Guinea after the discovery of seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine in an embassy vehicle earlier this year.
In Freetown, speculation exists that the Sierra Leonean government may seek a trade involving Leijdekkers connected to the extradition of Abdul Will Kamara, also known as Adebayor, a social commentator accused of inciting violent protests in 2022 that led to multiple civilian fatalities.
Information Minister Chernor Bah previously reported that two attempts to extradite Kamara had failed.
The video, which surfaced recently through an investigative report, shows Kanneh receiving a present at a dinner held in an upscale restaurant in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.
Leijdekkers, who is 33 years old, is one of Europe's most wanted fugitives, having been sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison for drug smuggling by a Rotterdam court last June.
He reportedly has been in Sierra Leone since at least 2022, raising concerns regarding his connections with local political elites, including Kanneh.
The timing of Kanneh's dismissal coincides with growing suspicions about the involvement of Sierra Leone’s political class in aiding Leijdekkers' activities in the region.
Reports suggest that Leijdekkers has frequented nightclubs and social gatherings in Sierra Leone and may have even attended a church service alongside President Bio’s daughter, Agnes Bio, earlier this year.
The immigration ministry under Kanneh had recently initiated an investment-for-citizenship scheme known as 'Go-for-Gold,' which allows investors to obtain Sierra Leonean citizenship within 90 days for a fee of $140,000, drastically reducing the traditional eight-year residence requirement.
Leijdekkers, who also holds a Turkish passport from a previous residence there while evading Dutch authorities, is alleged to have connections with organized crime syndicates that have historically used West African nations as transit points for cocaine shipments destined for Europe.
The Sierra Leonean police previously identified an individual in church service footage as Omar Sheriff; however, it remains unclear if this person is indeed Leijdekkers.
Furthermore, while Dutch authorities are exploring extradition options for Leijdekkers, no formal extradition treaty exists between Sierra Leone and the Netherlands.
Unrelatedly, this controversy arises as Sierra Leonean authorities recalled their ambassador from Guinea after the discovery of seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine in an embassy vehicle earlier this year.
In Freetown, speculation exists that the Sierra Leonean government may seek a trade involving Leijdekkers connected to the extradition of Abdul Will Kamara, also known as Adebayor, a social commentator accused of inciting violent protests in 2022 that led to multiple civilian fatalities.
Information Minister Chernor Bah previously reported that two attempts to extradite Kamara had failed.
