Soldier Committed to High Court
By: Alimatu Kargbo
A disagreement over US$100 has allegedly turned fatal, as Joseph Lamin Steven, a soldier of the RSLAF, has been committed to the High Court for trial over the death of his senior officer.
The ruling was delivered on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, by Principal Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah at Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1.
Steven is facing one count of murder, contrary to Section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act, 1861, as repealed and replaced by Section 1(a) of the Schedule to the Abolition of the Death Penalty Act, 2021 (Act No. 6 of 2022).
According to the indictment, the alleged murder occurred on Wednesday, 26 November 2026, at the Presidential Lounge, Freetown International Airport, Lungi, within the Port Loko Judicial District of the Northern Province. The accused is alleged to have unlawfully killed his senior officer, Moses Brima Kabba, following a dispute over $100.
During the proceedings, the investigating officer, Inspector B. Foday, tendered the cautioned and charged statements made by the accused to the police. These statements, which reportedly outlined the circumstances leading to the alleged altercation, were admitted as part of the prosecution’s evidence.
Police prosecutor CSP Tommy Zizer subsequently closed the prosecution’s case, stating that all evidence necessary to support the charge had been presented before the court.
In his ruling, Magistrate Jah said he was satisfied that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the accused. He therefore committed Joseph Lamin Steven to the High Court for further trial, where all exhibits tendered by the prosecution will be examined.
