According to reports from the northern town of Kabala, the head of the Fullah Community in the district has declared Mohamed Alieu Jalloh wanted in connection with the illegal act of homosexuality.

According to our source in Kabala, Mohamed Alieu Jalloh is a business man in Freetown and hails from a devout Muslim family, with his late father a respected Islamic Cleric in the town. Mohamed usually visits the family in Kabala and is known to be a very generous man.

However, on 8th November 2023, he is said to have been caught red-handed having sex with a young man in the family hut in the bush, a place where they rest while taking care of their cattle. Apparently Mohamed Alieu Jalloh was caught by his uncle, a senior Islamic Cleric and a respected figure, as well as the Head of the Fullah Community in the district, who had gone to check on his cows in the field and decided to take a rest at the hut.

According to our source, his uncle heard groanings coming from the hut and decided to check what was happening, and in the process, caught Mohamed Alieu Jalloh and one Amadou, naked, having sex. He immediately raised an alarm, which  drew the attention of youths in the vicinity, who then rushed to the hut to help him. Mohamed and his partner were apprehended and were mercilessly beaten. His partner is said to have fainted, which drew their attention from Mohamed.

During the confusion, Mohamed is said to have escaped and rushed to a garage at the outskirts of the town, where he had left his vehicle for servicing. He is said to have taken his vehicle and drove out of the town.

Later that day, a group of men boarded another vehicle and headed for Freetown to Mohamed’s house, in the hope that he had returned to Freetown, but he was nowhere to be found. All his known hangouts were checked, but to no avail. The Fullah head in Freetown was then notified and Mohamed Alieu Jalloh was then declared wanted.

The Fullah Community is a tightly neat society with strict adherence to the Muslim faith and teachings, and homosexuality is described as a satanic practice, and anyone caught in that act is severely delt with, often leading to death. Issues of such nature are not reported to the police, but are delt with in a communal way.

Homosexuality and all LGBT practices are taboo in the country, described by both religious faiths and traditional society as evil, demonic and a bad omen on the family. It is illegal in Sierra Leone and anyone caught in the act faces life imprisonment.

Mohamed Alieu Jalloh’s uncle refused to be drawn on the issue and only warned that if he sees him, he will personally kill him for bringing disgrace to the family name and the tribe.

As we go to press, the whereabouts of Mohamed Alieu Jalloh are still unknown, and the search for him by the Fullah Community, both in Freetown and Kabala continues unabated.